29th Nov

CR IP TI ON BS SU

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MOHARRAM 15, 1434 AH

Kuwait diplomatic ruler under political pressure

40 PAGES

150 FILS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

Amir dubbed ‘Dean of Arab diplomacy’

Max 20º Min 12º High Tide 13:14 & 23:32 Low Tide 06:10 & 17:34

The youthful cabinet

By Dr Ziad Al-Alyan Kuwait Times Deputy Editor-in-Chief

D

LONDON: British Prime Minister David Cameron (left) greets the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlSabah, as he arrives in Downing Street, London yesterday. — AFP KUWAIT: He may be 83 years old, but Kuwait’s ruling Amir remains a well-travelled diplomatic veteran robust enough to have propped up frail foreign leaders at a recent summit and to take centre stage in the country’s latest political row. Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah has faced opposition lawmakers keen to question a cabinet dominated by members of his family in a standoff that has blocked economic projects in the major Gulf Arab oil producer.

Kuwaitis vote on Dec 1 to select a new parliament, the fifth election since Sheikh Sabah came to power but the target of an opposition boycott over changes to voting rules ordered by the Amir that were deemed to favor pro-government candidates. Illness at the top of the ruling family left Sheikh Sabah as the de facto policymaker for years before he became Amir, chosen as an experienced pair of hands to run the Gulf Arab country.

“It was very clear at the time that Sheikh Sabah came with a unique sense of legitimacy. That gives him concrete political capital,” said Ayham Kamel, Middle East analyst at Eurasia Group.

Continued on Page 13

uring my recent meeting with the PM it was mentioned by Sheikh Jaber that it was important for him to have young blood in the new government. This theme appears to be the driving force behind the Arab Spring. Out with the old corrupt and in with the young. One obviously hopes that younger generation of politicians have not been tainted by corruption yet. Many of the demonstrations that have been staged in the Arab world recently have been organized by young, educated, enthusiastic and most importantly courageous men and women.

This lack of inhibition that they had has allowed them to be a very influential force. They are definitely in favor now. The public demands to see younger new faces. It is for that reason that many alliances and unions have incorporated newer and younger members. This applies to all unions, whether they are based on religious beliefs, or my favorite distinction - tribal versus non-tribal origins.

The older politicians have realized this trend and as a last ditch attempt to remain on the scene have attached themselves to the so-called ‘shabab’ movement. These octogenarians honestly have no shame. If you believe that it is time for the younger generation then you should simply support them in getting into parliament. Instead 80-year-old parliamentarians are using them as a tool to get reelected into parliament.

This has always been the problem with Arabs. It is about our love for the “chair”.

The concept of leaving with dignity after a job well done is foreign to us. Once in a position of power we have to be buried with our “chairs “. Cardiac disease, end stage liver disease even Alzheimer’s doesn’t seem to be a strong enough motivation to decide to call it a day.

Unfortunately, I am not aware of any

Unity top challenge for oppn movement KUWAIT: A disparate collection of youth activists, Islamists and populist politicians has achieved rare unity in agreeing to boycott Kuwait parliamentary elections on Dec 1 but the real challenge to the loose coalition is still to come. Political loyalties are illdefined and can change as often as the parliament in Kuwait, which is holding its fifth election since mid-2006. All it takes to be part of the “opposition” in a country where political parties are banned is to show a willingness to confront the government.

“We always come across this prob-

Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah Al-Sabah (Minister of Information) regulations that prevent a 90-year-old from running for a seat in parliament nor do I believe we should have. I do however believe we should have some other standards that must be met before a candidate is allowed to get into parliament. Call me old-fashioned but I believe a minimum of a university degree must be a requirement.

I don’t understand how someone without a degree can possibly be allowed to handle the country’s legislation! There are people who barely have a high-school degree that are members of scientific committees and financial committees in parliament. Does anyone else see a problem there? This might be the reason why we have stopped growing since the late 1970s.

My point is highlighted clearly when one listens to the speeches in these campaigns. I follow them regularly not because I am that interested in politics, but the comical value is priceless!

Unfortunately, my laughter turns very quickly into tears when I realize that the four or five idiots that I have been laughing at during their campaigns have actu-

Dr. Ali Sayed Al-Obaidi (Minister of Health) Health Dr Ali Al-Obaidi who received a lot of bad media recently from those close to the people he removed from the ministry.

Dr Ali took brave steps to ‘clean up’ the ministry. Unfortunately, the dinosaurs he removed from power in many departments had influential friends in the media. It is for that reason that he was chosen as a target by a few newspapers. I hope he is allowed to remain in the new government so he can implement the many projects that we need in the healthcare sector in Kuwait.

The Minister of Commerce Anas AlSaleh must be allowed to continue the good work he started. In a recent interview on Sky news he gave a good performance. It is people like that who still give me some hope that Kuwait might still have a chance for a bright future. I must stop writing now because it is time for the elections review on TV. I don’t want to miss a talk by one of the candidates. He, unlike many other candidates, has a nursery certificate that he is proud of. Maybe he will get elected and be allowed to join the public funds committee in parliament.

Saudi king appearance assuages fears

Saudi diplomat shot dead; Qaeda blamed

lem, this issue of the definition,” said Ghanem Al-Najjar, professor of political science at Kuwait University. “When we talk about the opposition in Kuwait, it does not really mean the opposition in the real sense.” While the current movement can certainly claim to the title and is holding together for now, there is little unanimity of purpose and a great deal of uncertainty over what to do next, both for fear of conflict with the ruling authorities and for what it might mean for the fragile unity of the group itself.

Continued on Page 13 RIYADH: An image grab from Saudi state television shows Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah appearing on state television, for the first time since he underwent a back operation on November 18. — AFP

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti women take pictures during a seminar organized by the fifth electoral constituency candidate, Mesha’l Sulaiman Al-Shatti for female voters. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Anas Khalid Al-Saleh (Minister of Commerce) ally won seats in parliament. It became clear to me that the educated, hardworking and patriotic Kuwaitis have become a minority close to extinction. The problem with jobless idiots is that their favorite past time entertainment is procreating.

This makes the educated few at greater risk of vanishing.

All is not lost however. The last cabinet has had some very promising stars. Most notably Sheikh Mohammad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, the Minister of Information. I assure you I am not saying that because of fears that he might close down our newspaper. Anyone who has met him will concur. It’s a breath of fresh air to see a young minister or an official who is articulate and presentable. On the many occasions I saw him speak on foreign channels I truly was proud. He reminded me of the Saudi foreign secretary Prince Saoud Al-Faisal. A man who can hold his own in front of the foreign press. Unlike many that can barely put a few sentences together with the aid of written notes. I would like to see more Kuwaitis like our current minister of information in the new cabinet.

I must also mention the Minister of

JEDDAH: Saudi King Abdullah has appeared on state television yesterday for the first time since his 11-hour operation to tighten a back ligament on Nov 17, helping assuage fears over his health. In footage broadcast on state television, the monarch, who is in his late 80s, appeared to be in good health as he sat in a chair receiving members of the royal family and officials at the National Guard’s King Abdulaziz Medical City in the capital Riyadh.

Saudi stability is of global concern. The pivotal Gulf US ally holds more than a fifth of world petroleum reserves and is the birthplace of Islam, where millions of Muslims flock to perform the annual haj pilgrimage. “It should put to rest all the rumors that were circulated by unknown people,” Jamal Khashoggi, an influential Saudi Continued on Page 13

SANAA: Unidentified gunmen shot dead a Saudi diplomat and his Yemeni bodyguard in Yemen’s capital Sanaa yesterday in an attack a local security source said appeared to be the work of Al-Qaeda. The killing was the latest attack on security officials and politicians in the US-allied state, where AlQaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and other militant groups have grown in strength since an uprising which began last year and toppled President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Attackers in a four-wheel drive vehicle opened fire on a car carrying Khaled Al-Enizi, an aide to the Saudi military attache, near his house in a southern neighborhood of Sanaa, a Yemeni securit y official said. The diplomat and his Yemeni guard died instantly. No one has claimed responsibility but the security official said authorities were “assuming that AlQaeda was behind it”. “If this is the case, it would be the first time AlQaeda has used a car to carry out an assassination,” he said.

The official said previously militants have used motorbikes, often without license plates. AQAP, regarded as Al-Qaeda’s strongest regional wing, has mounted operations in Saudi Arabia and tried to launch

attacks against the United States.

Restoring stability in Yemen is an international priority because of its strategic position adjoining not only oil expor ter Saudi Arabia but also major shipping lanes.

President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi took over as head of state in a Gulf-brokered power-transfer deal in February, and later Yemen’s army drove Islamist fighters out of southern strongholds in a military operation backed by the United States. Washington has also stepped up drone strikes on suspected militants. A Saudi official at the Foreign Ministry in Riyadh confirmed the Enizi’s killing, the state news agency SPA said.

The Saudis are a major donor to their poor neighbor and hosted the signing of the deal for Hadi to take power. In October, masked gunmen shot dead a Yemeni man who worked in the security office of the US Embassy in Sanaa, weeks after Abdulilah AlAshwal, a senior intelligence official, was killed in a drive-by shooting in the capital. Islamists linked to Al-Qaeda are still holding the deputy consul at the Saudi mission in the southern city of Aden, whom they seized in March. They have demanded a ransom and the release of women prisoners held in the kingdom. — Reuters

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

LOCAL

‘Woman’s Voice’ encourages Kuwaiti citizens to vote ‘Participating in Building Kuwait’

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: A group of Kuwaiti women coalitions called ‘Woman’s Voice’ decided to make collective effort and organized an awareness festival titled ‘Participating in Building Kuwait’ to encourage citizens to vote in the Dec 1 elections. The event was held on Tuesday at the Kuwait Regency Hotel. Fawziya AlSulaiman, representing the ‘Ishraqat Watan’ front, spoke about Kuwait’s bright past as a pioneering force in all fields in the region and pointed out how the country is now staring at disintegration and is lacking in development.

“People are now breaking laws, are lazy yet demand full rights without doing their duty.

The result was the absence of development.

Here comes the role of the Kuwaiti woman, who makes more than half of the society, to help re-build it and ensure the prosperity of future generations,” she stated.

“I call upon the Kuwaiti women to participate in the planning process to find a way to improve the situation. It is not an easy mission, but it is noble work. This is why we will participate in the elections and vote to choose the best of the candidates to build a bright future,” added Al-Sulaiman.

On her part, Dalal Al-Nasif, representing the organizing committee, noted that women’s votes will change the situation as they make up a majority and are well educated. “This festival is an open invitation for the Kuwaiti women to participate and prove that women are active in the political scenario and in building a new Kuwait of love, security, and stability. Women’s participation in elections

will decide the future, and their votes will contribute towards a strong parliament, which will come up with development, reforms, and education projects,” she pointed out.

Monya Al-Nouri from the ‘Labaik Ya Watan’ coalition stressed the important role of

KUWAIT: Monya Al-Nouri delivering her speech. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat women in ushering the much-needed changes in the Kuwaiti society. “Women have participated in all fields of work and increased the productivity. It is through political development that women got their right to participate in the elections in 2005 which reflects

the democratic principles and social equity after a long struggle since 1971. After all this, should we just refrain from voting and give up our right to represent ourselves? We should vote to stop the political terror of the so-called majority and improve and rectify the democracy. It is our responsibility to vote for the development of Kuwait,” she explained.

Alia Al-Khalid from the ‘Hub Al-Watan’ coalition spoke about the history of democracy in Kuwait since the year 1938 and about the Kuwaiti constitution. “Kuwaitis demanded democracy since 1938. And in 1962 the constitution was issued, and we should read it to understand their love of Kuwait, and how they solved their conflicts for the good of Kuwait. They preserved their rights through democracy. So why should we forget these achievements and give up our right of voting due to conflicts about an article of the constitution? How will we benefit from boycotting the elections, or from active participation?

Any passive behavior will hit the country, and hence we should all vote,” she stated.

Also, Yusra Al-Qahtani from the ‘Banat AlKuwait’ coalition and Maha Al-Ali from the ‘Kuwaitiyat’ coalition agreed with the previous speakers on the importance of remaining positive and politically active by voting in the coming elections to build and develop Kuwait.

The festival concluded with the final statement presented by Aysha Al-Rawdan, encouraging all Kuwaitis to unite. She hoped for peace and prosperity in Kuwait through moderate ideology and a civil culture based on religion.

Man finds KD350 million in his account

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: In what could be a first of its kind complaint to the police, a citizen told officers at Ahmadi police station that he found a whopping KD 350 million in his bank account after he withdrew some money from it, while his actual bank balance should have been less than KD700. Security sources said the man supported his report about the local bank with a bank receipt. He said he reported the case as he feared that the excess amount in his account could have come from some money laundering operation.

Robber arrested Detectives at the Salwa police station

arrested an Arab expat for robbing some of the banks clients. He used to stalk clients withdrawing money from their accounts and then rob them once they left the bank. Several complaints were received from citizens and expats about having been robbed by a person who was using a car with an illegible plate number to avoid being traced.

They said that he used to keep a watch on them as they would leave the bank loaded with money they withdrew, and as soon as they stopped in front of their houses or any other place, he would attack them and rob them.

All the victims said that the criminal used the same modus operandi.

Police made a list of suspects as per the descriptions provided by the victims. Based on such information, a task force team was formed to collect more information and investigate further.

The banks were kept under watch, and detectives kept an eye out for anyone using the kind of car that the suspect was reported using. Finally, the culprit was identified and arrested and the victims were able to recognize him.

All those who had reported being victims of such robberies have been asked to report to the Salwa police station to check with detectives and identify their goods and claim their money which were found with the criminal.

Kuwait ready for Asian Sports Press Conference

Faisal Al-Qanaei

Mohammad Al-Maliki

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orty eight hours separate Kuwait from hosting the 16th Asian Conference for Sports Press which features delegations from 26 Asian countries who will be meeting at the Hashemi Hall in the Regency Hotel. The two-day event is considered one of the largest media gatherings in the sports field worldwide given the level of participation as delegations from Magnolia, Syria, Kazakhstan and Iran arrive today. The organizing committee led by Kuwait Journalists Association’s Secretary General, Faisal Al-Qanaei, has finalized preparations to welcome the delegations as well as sports journalists from Asia and around the world. Meanwhile, Secretary General of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) Roslyn Morris arrived in Kuwait last night to attend the conference.

Member of the Asian Sports Press Union (ASPU) and AIPS, Mohammad Al-Mailki, has in the meantime expressed confidence in Kuwait’s capability to host a successful conference “that reflects well on the Gulf region.” The Qatari journalist expressed full support to “the great efforts Al-Qanaei exerts in order for Kuwait to regain the ASPU headquarters the country lost in 1990.” The conference will also witness elections for top ASPU posts including the post of the President which Al-Qanaei is competing for against Mangolia’s representative. “Al-Qanai’s win would boost Kuwait’s chances to regain the ASPU head-

Roslyn Morris AIPS quarters which will reflect positively on the sports media field in Kuwait and the Gulf region in general,” Al-Maliki said.

Twelve Arab nations take part in the event, namely, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Yemen, while Syria participates as an observer until its membership is reviewed.

The other countries participating are China, Japan, Korea, India, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Macao, Kyrgyzstan, Magnolia, Iran, Nepal, and Chinese Taipei as an observer.

Brazilian Food Festival at Hotel Missoni KUWAIT: Hotel Missoni Kuwait and the Embassy of Brazil are pleased to introduce for the first time in Kuwait the “Brazilian Food Festival” show at Luna Restaurant from of Nov 29 to Dec 8.

At a press conference held at the hotel, the guest chef Paulo Machado who is very well known in Brazil expressed his gratitude for this great opportunity to showcase his talents in Kuwait and added that the Brazilian food which he will cook originated from different areas of Brazil and promised to take guests for a real tour to experience new taste in culinary arts of authentic Brazilian cuisine including the famous dishes Caldinho de Feijao, Moqueca Capixaba, Barreado, and Quindim.

Alfio Bernardini, General Manager said “This is a great opportunity for everyone here in Kuwait to enjoy the Brazilian culture through our Brazilian Food Festival and what an honor it is to have Chef Paulo Machado cooking at our Luna Restaurant for all to enjoy.”

Roberto Abdalla, Ambassador of Brazil, said “Brazilian food is based on three main traditions: Native American, Portuguese and African and I really hope this Festival will instigate those in Kuwait who have not yet had the chance to discover the Brazilian gastronomic universe. Also, for those who had the opportuni-

ty to visit Brazil, I am certain that good memories of my country will arise while savoring Chef Paulo’s creations”.

Hotel Missoni Kuwait is combining the unique style of the iconic Italian fashion & interiors house. Designed to give guests a true taste of the Missoni way of life, Hotel Missoni quickly established itself as one of Kuwait’s leading hotels. The Hotel is located in Salmiya, Arabian Gulf Road and is part of the Symphony Complex, an adjacent luxury boutique shopping mall.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

LOCAL

LONDON: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II delivers her speech during a State Banquet for His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah of Kuwait, obscured behind Prince Charles, below left with red lapel, in Windsor Castle on the first day of his State Visit to the UK on Tuesday.

The Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah (left) waves to commandant Major General Tim Evans after a visit to Sandhurst Royal Military Academy near Camberley, England Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012. The Amir is on a state visit to the United Kingdom.

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II smiles before delivering a speech during a State Banquet for His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of Kuwait in Windsor Castle on the first day of his State Visit to the UK on Tuesday. —- AP photos

British queen underlines strong ties with Kuwait Dinner banquet in honor of Amir LONDON: Queen Elizabeth II hosted in Windsor Castle a dinner banquet in honor of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and the official delegation accompanying him on the occasion of his state visit to the UK. The event began with Britain’s national anthem and was followed by a speech of Queen Elizabeth II in which she, on behalf of her husband Prince Philip, welcomed the Amir in Windsor Castle “as we celebrate your state visit to the United Kingdom.”

The Queen shed light on the historic relations between the UK and Kuwait, and how bilateral cooperation would further serve the best interest of people of the two countries. “The State of Kuwait and the United Kingdom are old friends. Since a ship from the British East India Company unloaded in Kuwait in 1775, our countries, and our families, have shared a long and close history,” she noted.

Queen Elizabeth II said that 20 years after the Special Treaty of Friendship was concluded in 1899, “my grandfather, King George V, welcomed Your Highness’s father, the late Sheikh Ahmad Al Jaber as the first official Kuwaiti visitor to Britain.”

She said there were many exchanges between the two countries since that time.

“I am glad to remind Your Highness of the memorable visit which Prince Philip and I paid to Kuwait in 1979, and the pleasure we had of welcoming your brother’s (late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah) visit here in 1995. I also know how delighted my son The Prince of Wales was to have been able to celebrate with you last year

the 50th anniversary of your country’s independence and the 20th anniversary of your liberation,” said the Queen.

“Our relationship runs deep, and the United Kingdom is proud to have played its part in Kuwait’s recent history. The future, too, holds great promise. Your visit to this country allows us to celebrate the breadth and strength of that partnership.

We warmly welcome the many thousands of Kuwaitis who visit the United Kingdom every year and the many - Your Highness included - who have chosen to make second homes here.”

Queen Elizabeth then touched upon Britain’s overwhelming support to Kuwait during the former Iraqi regime’s invasion and occupation of the State of Kuwait in 1990-91. Britain was part of an international coalition that ejected the Iraqi forces from Kuwait in February 1991. “... we were pleased to stand beside you in your hour of need, so now you have our support in confronting the challenges which face your region and the global community.

Our close cooperation in matters of defence and security will deliver greater safety for the people of both our countries.

The British Military Mission in Kuwait, and the many Kuwaiti students who train alongside British forces in this country, demonstrate some of the bonds we have developed. In difficult times, we place great store by these enduring ties.”

Queen Elizabeth said that “with our shared trading and maritime traditions, I am confident that our commercial links which began so long ago, will continue to

prosper. By happy coincidence, this state visit is also an opportunity to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Kuwait Investment Authority’s association with this country and highlight the benefits of our trading relationship. Furthermore, the United Kingdom greatly welcomes your presence on the United Nations Human Rights Council this year and congratulates the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development for its most generous contribution to your own region and beyond.”

The Monarch also touched upon cooperation in other domains.

“In areas of scientific research, culture, health and education, many young Kuwaitis now choose to pursue their education at British Universities. The London School of Economics and Durham University are both proud to host distinguished Kuwaiti-led international research programmes. And I am encouraged by the news that in the field of nursing, training links are being established between Sheffield Hallam University and the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health,” she said.

The Queen expressed delight that Sheikh Sabah was visiting Britain during a special year “marking my own Diamond Jubilee and this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in London. But I know that it has also been a significant year of historic change in your own region. The United Kingdom pays tribute to your country’s leading contribution to the promotion of a vibrant democracy and applauds your efforts to guide Kuwait to a future of openness and tolerance.

100,000 could face travel bans KUWAIT: Nearly 100,000 people in Kuwait could face travel bans as per court orders requiring them to pay dues owed to the state, the Justice Ministry announced in a press conference on Tuesday.

This comes as part of a new system by which the government plans to collect nearly KD12 million in fees for using state services or fines in felony and misdemeanor cases, said the head of the Prosecution of Criminal

Execution Affairs and International Cooperation, Mohammad Al-Duaij.

He added that with effect from Jan 2, 2013, the system will automatically start blacklisting people who owed money to the state. The travel ban will be the first punitive stage in the system and will be followed later with suspension of the debtor’s transactions with all service-related ministries.

The final stage includes issuing subpoena and a possible jail term for up

to six months. Al-Duaij explained during the press conference, also attended by Interior Ministry officials, that the travel ban will become effective 90 days after the court order. The ban will be automatically lifted once the fee is paid at respective departments or special offices at the Kuwait Airport and land border checkpoints. The ban can only be lifted on payment of pending dues or permission granted for humanitarian reasons, Al-Duaij added.

Al-Rashid warns about ‘Muslim Brotherhood’ plot KUWAIT: Second constituency candidate Ali Al-Rashid accused the Muslim Brotherhood of having an organized political presence in Kuwait and warned people about the Islamic group’s ‘ill-intentions’. He was addressing a gathering at the inauguration of his election camp on Tuesday night.

The former lawmaker recognized that the coming period will be “crucial” for Kuwait and will require “a parliament capable of achieving results.”

While sounding optimistic about the possibility of December 1 elections throwing up a productive parliament, Al-Rashid said what was required was a similarly “active and competent

Cabinet because the current one is not.” He also asked for induction of “new faces” in the Cabinet.

Meanwhile, Al-Rashid said that he believes the opposition will eventually agree to run for parliament as per the single-vote system “because they are like the fish that cannot live without the sea, which, in this case, means elections.”

Asked whether he plans to run for the post of the speaker if elected, AlRashid said it was still premature to make such a decision, but said it would be an “honor” if he eventually becomes the nex t parliament ’s speaker.

Al-Rashid’s public address coincided with a seminar organized by oppositionist groups, in which former MP Saleh Al-Mulla urged those floating theories about a Muslim Brotherhood plot to control the political scene in Kuwait “to provide evidence and [the opposition] will be in the frontlines defending the regime (if that were to be the case).” The liberal former lawmaker indicated in the meantime that the government allocated “an unprecedented KD2 million” to be used to “urge people to vote,” arguing at the same time that the upcoming parliament is not likely to survive a year after its election.

KUWAIT: The Commercial Bank of Kuwait honored staff members Asrar Fadhel and Sulaiman Al-Qassar for winning the sixth annual KBA Shooting Tournament organized by the Kuwait Banks Club. They were personally awarded by Chairman of the Board of Director and Managing Director Ali Al-Mousa.

“We have enjoyed cooperation and friendship that have endured and evolved over many years. I believe that our relationship has also deepened and strengthened in that time, invigorated by a renewed energy and commitment to a safe and prosperous future. We are therefore delighted that you have travelled here to join us in celebrating those enduring ties between us.”

Then the national anthem of Kuwait was played and was followed by a speech of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Sabah who thanked the Queen for her invitation to visit the UK. “As you know our relations with you are solid as I visit your friendly country regularly, and it is a great honor for me to pay a state visit this week and to meet you in the house of the Royal Family, the great Windsor Castle, which represents deep-rooted history and civilization,” said Sheikh Sabah. This visit “symbolizes our common desire to promote bonds of friendship and understanding linking our countries and people, which emphasizes our keenness to do whatever it takes to promote our relations and explore new horizons of cooperation and partnership,” added the Amir.

“It is an honor for me to participate in the Diamond Jubilee marking 60 years of your Majesty’s rule, during which you spent many years in the service of your country in an unprecedented wisdom.

Your Majesty is widely admired and respected by the whole world,” he said.

Sheikh Sabah said he followed with admiration the Olympic games and para-

LONDON: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales speaks with His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, during his visit to see the Islamic Art produced by the Prince’s Charities, during a visit to his residence Clarence House in central London yesterday. lympics which were hosted by the city of London this summer.

Sheikh Sabah congratulated Queen Elizabeth and the British people for the success of the tournaments in which British athletes achieved many medals in fair plays. Sheikh Sabah said days ago “Your Majesty participated in a commemoration of the martyrs of wars who paid dear price for freedom.

“We in Kuwait will never forget how your country and other countries in the world reacted to liberate my country from the Iraqi invasion in 1990, and the sacri-

fices of the British people for the liberation of Kuwait, which will always been engraved in hearts and minds of the Kuwaiti people,” he said.

Sheikh Sabah said Kuwait and Britain were bound to bilateral cooperation in many fields, namely trade and investment.

“We are looking forward to boosting them through investment of promising opportunities which will thus promote our relationship to the level of our expecations, and achieve progress and prosperity for our countries and people, “ said the Amir of Kuwait. — KUNA

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

LOCAL

Two men sexually assault woman, minor daughter Robbers hyper-active along Salmi Road KUWAIT: Two men sexually assaulted a woman and her minor daughter after forcibly entering into their apartment in Nugra on Tuesday with an intention to commit robbery. The men forced their way inside after the Egyptian woman answered the door.

They tied the woman and her daughter and duct-taped their mouths before assaulting them and running away with jewelry and cash worth KD2,000. The victims could only be released when the woman’s husband came back from work. The Egyptian man immediately reported the crime at the area’s police station. Criminal investigators were sent to the scene while the victims were taken for a forensic examination. Investigations are on.

Officer attacked A mentally retarded man was taken into custody by police who were called to his family’s apartment due to his unstable behavior. The incident took place in Al-Shuhada’a on Tuesday. When police reached the house in response to an emergency call, the suspect attacked one of the officers with a pocketknife.

The officer had to be hospitalized with a wound on his neck. The attacker was taken to the area’s police station and then referred to the Psychiatric Hospital.

In another incident reported from Taima, a man was arrested for assaulting police officers on duty when they were arresting his brother for reckless driving. The officers had put the reckless driver in the patrol vehicle and were waiting for formalities to be completed

to impound his vehicle when his knifewielding brother showed up and attempted to stab them. He was overpowered and taken into custody along with his brother to face charges. No one was injured in the fracas.

Highway robbery Three robberies in quick succession were reported within two hours along a stretch of the Salmi Road on Tuesday.

An Asian man first reported that the suspects stole his cell phone and KD50 after forcing him to pull over, and also burst one of his car’s tires with a rifle shot before driving away. Minutes later, two Asian men reported that they were robbed by drivers of a vehicle similar to the one described by the first victim at a spot 10 km from the scene of the first

crime. The suspects also fired shots at the victims’ car before escaping. Even as search was on for the suspects, authorities received a call from an Asian man who said that he managed to escape when the suspects tried to force him to stop, but had fired shots at his vehicle.

Nothing fishy A truck, which was earlier suspected of carrying explosives or contrabands, was eventually cleared to enter an oil company’s site in Sabhan. Bomb squads were summoned to the scene on Tuesday after sniffer dogs trained to detect explosives seemed to be on to something during the truck’s routine checking. The vehicle was eventually cleared after nothing suspicious was found.

Kuwait urged to avoid crackdown KUWAIT: Kuwaiti authorities must allow protesters to gather peacefully and express their views without the threat of arrest, Amnesty International said ahead of an opposition march over voting rules planned later this week. Protesters plan a march in central Kuwait tomorrow, on the eve of parliamentary elections which the opposition is boycotting in protest.

Opposition politicians and youth protest groups say new voting rules introduced

by Kuwait’s 83-year-old ruler in October are an attempt to skew the Dec 1 election in favor of pro-government candidates.

The Amir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlSabah, says the voting system is flawed and that the changes are constitutional and needed for the sake of Kuwait’s “security and stability”. “Protesters must be allowed to peacefully assemble to voice their views without hindrance or fear of arrest and such gatherings should be permitted to form into marches or other types of peaceful protest,” Londonbased Amnesty said in a statement posted on its website. Kuwait’s prime minister

said on Monday that the planned protest march had been given permission to go ahead, in a step which could ease tensions ahead of the vote.

Kuwait allows the most dissent among the Gulf Arab states and its citizens often hold rallies in a designated area outside parliament. But recent protest marches in the streets beyond have been broken up by police using tear gas, smoke bombs and baton charges. Authorities are keen to prevent the kind of unrest Kuwait experienced on Oct 21, when thousands of demonstrators tried to reach government headquarters in the largest march and were forcibly dispersed by police. Amnesty said users of social media should also be able to enjoy protection whether they support or oppose the government, as long as they did not incite racial hatred or violence. Sheikh Sabah is on a state visit to Britain this week and Amnesty called on Prime Minister David Cameron to tell the Amir that Kuwait “needs to avoid a crackdown.” —Reuters

IDPD convention dedicated to Al-Khaldi KUWAIT: It was a very poignant moment at the press conference called to announce the convention to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) when Kifayah Al-Alban, Training Gate International (TGI) Founder and General Manager, shared with the audience the sad news of the death previous evening of Ibrahim Al Khaldi, 28, one of the youth leaders scheduled to make a presentation at the event.

Recalling the immense efforts that Ibrahim put into ensuring the success of the event, she told the gathering how that the dedicated young man spent even his last day at TGI preparing for the convention a passion and dedication hard to fathom.

He spent his last days providing leadership so that the dignity and value of each human life is recognized. Ibrahim was an inspiration for all who knew him. “For this reason, our 2012 Convention and Open Forums will be dedicated to his memory,” AlAlban said.

On Dec 3, 4 and 5th, the Arraya Ballroom at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel will be the venue for Kuwait’s 2012 Convention and Celebration of the International Day for Persons with Disabilities. This year’s event, held under the auspices of the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, has been organized by Training Gate International (TGI) in coordination with

Kuwait’s schools and organizations that support the needs of the disability community.

The IDPD theme for 2012 is: “Removing Barriers to Create and Inclusive and Accessible Society for All.” Al-Alban expressed her deep gratitude to His Highness the Amir of Kuwait for sponsoring this important event and shared that on behalf of the TGI Team, she has asked to meet with the Amir after the conclusion of the convention in order to share the recommendations of youth with disabilities and the visiting international leaders for the advancement of education and employment in Kuwait.

Al-Alban stated that this year’s IDPD program features events and activities planned for both children and adults. The morning sessions on all three days will include a Kids Art Expo which will feature art work made by students from both public and private special needs schools.

There will also be many activities and special shows for children. Al-Alban added that one of the highlights of the celebration will be two Open Forums in the evening which will feature a panel of youths with disabilities who will share their experiences and visions for the future on the theme of Education (December 3) and Employment (December 4) which will focus on the benefits of employing people

with disabilities for employers in both public and private sectors.

Nora Al-Othman, Deputy General Manager, stated that TGI has invited expert leaders from USA, representing TGI’s partnerships with the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), the only organization that

Al-Othman added that this year’s convention will also feature participation by Mobility International USA (MIUSA) through the support of the US Embassy in Kuwait. The Embassy will be an official partner in this year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities Convention and

KUWAIT: Officials addressing the press conference. sets the professional standards in special education, and Virginia Commonwealth University’s Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (VCU-RRTC), one of the largest Research and Training Centers dedicated to improving employment success for people with disabilities.

Celebration for the first time.

Tracy E. Roberts-Pounds, Public Affairs Officer from the Embassy of the United States of America, stated that the US Embassy is proud of its cooperation with Training Gate International and of the communities and organizations that sup-

port people with disabilities. The Embassy is particularly pleased to sponsor MIUSA’s participation in TGI’s Celebration of IDPD. “We believe communities can learn much from one another and can share ideas and experiences through shared advocacy. It is for this reason that the US Embassy sponsored Mobility International USA’s participation in the conference.”

MIUSA has been working for 30 years to empower people with disabilities around the world to achieve their human rights. “MIUSA is pleased to participate in the event and looks forward to exchanging best practices with local organizations to enable young people with disabilities to achieve their goals”, Roberts-Pounds said.

Carol Marshall, TGI’s Special Education Consultant, stated that this year’s celebration has been developed for all members of the Kuwait community: ministries, university staff and students, business and community leaders, educators and support staff, parents and for the general population. It is hoped that the conference experience will provide an atmosphere for the exchange of information and cooperation in support of the integration of people with disabilities into all aspects of Kuwaiti society. Marshall added that thirty workshops, each of 90 minutes

duration, will take place in the mornings of all three days of the convention, and will be presented by International leaders and specialists in the field of special education from the United States and Ireland.

More than 750 people are expected to participate in the workshops. She stated that this will be a valuable opportunity for Kuwait community to benefit from the knowledge of international leaders, and encouraged the disability community to register for workshops. Registrations are presently underway and will be taken at the door for any workshop still open.

Finally, Al-Alban concluded the press conference with special thanks to the official IDPD 2012 partners, namely the Ministry of Information (MOI) and the Embassy of the United States of America in Kuwait. She expressed her gratitude to the sponsors, which are: Zain, Kuwait Fund for Arabic Economic Development, Kuwait Banking Association, Kuwait Small Projects Development Company, Kuwait National Petroleum Company, Commercial Facilities Company, Gulf Insurance Company, Al Wagayan - Al Awadhi - Al Saif Attorneys and Legal Consultants, Al Babtain Foundation, Al Yousifi Charity, Awqaf Public Foundation, Asasat Building and Contracting Company.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

LOCAL

NA hopefuls pick Sharia, oil legislation among priorities Call for fast development KUWAIT: Candidate in the Fifth Constituenc y in the December 2012 National Assembly elections Hammad Mnahi Al-Dosiri stressed that minding the restraints of Sharia (Islamic jurisprudence) in all aspects of life is the surest means to bolster stability and security, and that he would make this his priority should he win in the elections.

The candidate remarked that the state was going through a challenging state of affairs and it is vital to consult Sharia scholars and experts who could help pin point solutions for many of our problems.

He demanded the executive authority approve and announce a clear working program and commit to its implementation before the legislative authority. He said there are many problems and concerns that are the result of accumulated inaction or inadequate handling, and such issues must be settled without delay.

In the Third Constituency, Bader AlYahya said he would seek legislation that supports the oil sector and focus on issues such as alternative energy to fuel water desalination, for example.

He remarked it is most important to issue a law that better regulates and organizes the state’s strategy and working plan. It is also crucial to put in place competent state follow up on execution of the development plan and maintain trans-

parency in all projects and initiatives.

He also shed light on the need for more attention to healthcare and education and other main services and sectors across the country and in his constituency in particular. He also thought it prudent to bring salaries in the private sector to par with state jobs to reduce the pressure on state bodies when it comes to employment of new graduates.

Another area Al-Yahya chose to focus on was legislation to help with introduction and import of the latest technology from more advanced parts of the world, as well as a need to pass the foreign investment law and to support national labor. He also reiterated the need to pass laws to support the bourse and to pass legislation to counter illegal stocks and corporate practices.

Dr. Thaher Al-Enezi, candidate of the fifth constituency for the 2012 parliamentary elections, has called in his campaign for upgrading the national educational sector.

He called, in a statement, for establishing educational and entertainment clubs for the youth to help in safeguarding them against deviation.

The nominee also called for solving the traffic problem by building bridges and expanding the roads. He also urged for resolving the housing problem, updating

government services, combating monopolization and supporting small enterprises.

Khalil Al-Saleh, a candidate of the second constituency, highlighted necessity of maintaining the national unity and launching new development schemes, stressing that development of the human resources must come first. He also took issue of the unemployment problem and called for cooperation between the executive and legislative authorities.

Meanwhile, Abdullah Mubarak Al-Hejref, an expert in human development, said that successful candidate should be distinguished with good conduct, balanced personality and effective rhetorical methods.

A candidate should be able to interact and mingle with the potential voters to be aware of their needs and problems.

He added that among the other skills that are necessary for the nominee are self esteem, eloquency, rich education and awareness of psyche of the masses.

Moreover, the candidate must prepare well ahead of addressing the electorate via the media or at rallies.

A Fourth Constituency candidate for the 2012 National Assembly elections stressed on Tuesday the significance of making right edicts to speed up national development.

Amin Al-Sharefi said appropriate steps ought to be taken in order to accelerate

Appeals to rule on barred candidates

By B Izzak KUWAIT: With just two days left for the general polls, the appeals court said it will rule today on petitions filed by the government against 26 candidates who were barred to run in the election.

The candidates were among 37 hopefuls who were disqualified last week by the National Election Commission on the grounds that they failed to meet preconditions for maintaining good conduct. The administrative court on Tuesday scrapped the disqualification decisions and allowed 24 candidates to continue in the election, while three more were reinstated yesterday including members of the scrapped 2012 National Assembly Mohammad AlJuwaihel and Abdulhameed Dashti.

The government legal team on Tuesday filed petitions challenging the administrative court verdicts in favor of 24 candidates and yesterday filed two more. It was expected to also chal-

lenge the 27th verdict today. The appeals court verdicts on the issue will be final as its rulings on such matter cannot be appealed in the court of cassation. The candidates facing the challenges include former MPs Saleh Ashour, Youssef Al-Zalzalah, Khalaf Dumaitheer, Khaled Al-Adwah, Askar Al-Enezi and several others. By reinstating the 27 barred candidates, the number of hopefuls running in Saturday’s election has increased to 306 and the figure could change after today’s verdicts. The court verdict has also increased the number of former MPs bidding re-election to around 22 compared to an average of over 50 in previous elections mainly because all former opposition MPs have boycotted the election.

In another development, former MP and current candidate Ali Al-Rashed, who is tipped to become speaker for the next National Assembly, yesterday called for forming an entirely new gov-

ernment on new basis. Speaking at an election rally, Rashed called for changing all the ministerial team who should be replaced by new faces who can perform in the coming dangerous period.

But Rashed explained on his Twitter yesterday that he did not mean that the prime minister should also be changed. He said that the appointment of the prime minister is the sole authority of His Highness the Amir in accordance with the constitution. The opposition meanwhile continued its campaign to urge the Kuwaiti people to boycott the election which they said was unconstitutional after the government unilaterally amended the electoral law.

The opposition is also preparing for the big demonstration tomorrow, a day before the election, and organizers have been urging people to attend the protest to send a clear message to the authorities that the Kuwaiti people are against the election.

KUWAIT: Honoring during the conference on the impact of Arab culture in non-Arab Asian countries in progress.

— Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KU conference on ‘Arab Culture in non-Arab Asia’ KUWAIT: A two-day conference on the impact of Arab culture in nonArab Asian countries got underway last Tuesday, courtesy Kuwait University’s Faculty of Arts. The event was attended by KU Rector Dr. Abdullatif Al-Badr and the faculty’s dean, Dr Hayat Al-Hajji.

“The conference aims to shed light on the presence of Arab culture in non-Arab Asian countries

and how much Asians are affected by the modern cultural movement,” Dr Al-Badr said in his inaugural speech. He said “scientific research and communication among researchers and intellectuals through international conferences” was the best way to help “others understand our cultures.”

Twenty academics attended the event which featured discussions on

various topics including the Arab Spring, its causes and whether revolting Arab societies managed to achieve the goals they were seeking. Several activists in the domain of arts, intellectual and voluntary work were honored as part of the event, including Sheikh Jum’ah AlMajid from the United Arab Emirates and Dr. Abdul-Aziz AlMane’a from Saudi Arabia.

the development process in the country in order to carry out the directives of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to transfer Kuwait into a regional trade hub.

He also called on the government to apply law to everybody and to take positive steps to serve the people and tackle all outstanding issues, primarily housing, health, education and employment.

He vowed to give a top priority to such significant issues calling for overhauling both health and educational systems in the country.

Fawaz Al-Enezi, also from the Fourth Constituency, said it is necessary for citizens to vote in the forthcoming parliamentary polls with a view to playing a part in the building of their nation.

He listed five aspects for a better Kuwait as constitutional constants, justice and equality, national unity, human development and the rule of law.

Al-Enezi promised to do his utmost to solve all problems bugging his constituency, and to pay more attention to youth issues. He also stressed the necessity of finding a holistic and drastic solution to the issue of illegal residents.

For her part, Thikra Al-Rashidi, coming from the Four th Constituenc y, urged Kuwaiti citizens to practice their electoral right so as to help in the success of the

democratic process.

Involvement in the coming electoral process is a good oppor tunity for the Kuwaiti people to show their keenness on the national unity, Al-Rashidi believed.

She urged local mass media to boost public awareness about right criteria for choosing their own candidates.

Another candidate for the Four th Constituency Nasser Al-Duwaila said it is imperative to overhaul the electoral system in Kuwait as the right way to carry out political reforms.

Addressing his supporters this evening, he said: “Reforming the electoral system in the country is the correct gateway to make a political reform and to address subsequent political crises that have dashed every hope for reform, development and progress.”

Supporting the one-vote system, AlDuwaila said the old four-vote system has fueled tribalism and sectarianism, lashing out at the unjust distribution of constituencies.

Instead, the one-vote system safeguards the spirit of citizenship and equality and frees deputies of communal and tribal restrictions, he pointed out.

On his electoral platform, he said it is mainly based on fresh visions for developing educational strategies and overhauling the litigation system. —KUNA

RAJESH

6

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

LOCAL in my view in my view

The Double Standards of Muslim Brothers

To vote or not

By Ambassador Faisal Rashed Al-Ghais

By Fouad Al-Obaid

T

fouad@kuwaittimes.net Twitter: @fouadalobaid s the country is about to elect - yet again - its new National Assembly, much controversy and political bickering has already taken place, and in a new turn of events, it seems that the government is about to allow for the third edition of ‘Karamat Watan’ (Nation’s Dignity) march to go on.

The march will likely be more noted than the election, and should the government allow it to proceed unlike the precedent editions, it would ensure that hoards of fellow nationals will show up for the march. Those that witnessed previous elections will likely note the lack of political campaigning that has been thus so far limited to select TV adverts-Adverts that at a majority are pointless and do not present the contenders with viable political ideas and promises, rather it is turning into a ‘Star Academy’ style nomination more than a serious political rendezvous.

Most unusual is this election season ‘dullness’ and lack of public enthusiasm. Rather, this pre-electoral season has been marred by debates and protest movements online and for a historic first on the streets about the legality and legitimacy of the yetto be convened Parliament. Many are speculating on a low voter turn out. This reality has prompted the government to initiate a vast public relation campaign encouraging people to contest and to then vote in the upcoming legislature. I myself am starting to wonder whether the government decision to allow the third ‘Nation’s Dignity’ march is nothing more than a ploy to scrap or at least alter or change the election date since a majority are clearly against it and would offer a potential way out of the current crises-at least it could buy time and bring things to their previous status-quo.

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This pre-electoral season has been marred by debates and protest movements online and for a historic first on the streets about the legality and legitimacy of the yet-to be convened Parliament.

If we were to dissect the demands and aspiration of the people of Kuwait in light of the recent contestation movements that have taken various forms and have led to an unprecedented political crackdown, the government thesis seems to be not facing up to the realities on the ground. The truth is that today’s problems are not new; in fact they are at least a decade in the making. Kuwait is a small country with many resources. The troubling fact is that the consistent squandering of funds is out in the public and that only can add fuel to the real socio-economic fire-the growing unemployment pandemic along with the more dangerous structural and cyclical unemployment-the latter is part of a global phenomena - and perhaps most dangerous of all masked unemployment that has created an over-extended useless bureaucracy that hinders true economic development with the unleashing of the nation’s economical potential.

Though the economy is playing a hefty role in the current protest movement, it is not the only issue. The government would like to believe that the opposition is a united movement with a structured body that can be dealt a blow. The reality is that you don’t have an ‘opposition’ you have singular individuals fed up with the blatant corruption that each one of them has been a party to. Though understandably one might question why do well off Kuwaitis feel the need to stop whatever leisure they are in to take it to the streets? Many have argued that we are spoiled brats and that we already are benefiting from a generous welfare state! Adding that we are free in Kuwait and that people genuinely are able to express their feelings without fear of retribution...

To answer the allegations, yes Kuwait is in an advantaged socio-economic position, and that no one can deny, nor has anyone of those in the protest movement have denied. The majority is not looking for regime change, they are looking for socio-economic evolution with a political consolidation as structured in the constitution. Most pressing, they are at best bothered by the growing perceived inequalities between the highest paid public servants and the average pay, which brings us to the common themes of most protest movements that have lead to political change. It is not in the amount of money one receives that will ensure social harmony. I speculate that it is in the differential between the median pay and the highest echelon pay that create social disharmony and when coupled with blatant corruption are only bound to lead to confrontation and political change.

he Muslim Brothers - the Kuwait branch raised hell when Brigadier DahiKhalfan, head of the Dubai Police Force, warned Kuwait against their organisation in the light of the discovery of a group of Moslem Brothers in the UAE plotting against the UAE regime.

Brigadier Khalfan said that this group had organisational and financial connections with the organisation’s branch in Kuwait. Moslem Brothers in Kuwait attacked Brigadier Dahi for socalled intervention in the internal affairs of Kuwait. They also rejected the call of the UAE foreign minister, Sheikh Abdalla bin Zayid, on the GCC member countries to coordinate their efforts in face of Muslim Brothers in the Gulf Region.

But Muslim Brothers are the last to speak about intervention in the internal affairs of Kuwait or any other country, since they proclaim themselves to be a universal movement by its very definition, based on the principle of changing the regimes not only of Muslim countries, but of all countries of the world, in order to re-establish the Islamic Caliphate. I say so, based on what they say about themselves in their basic literature. Their theoretician, Sayyid Qutub, wrote in his book titled “In the Shadow of the Quran”, part 3, p. 1451: “The task of bringing about an Islamic coup is general and not limited to a certain country. What Islam wants and aims at is to see the coup happen all over the globe.”

What I do not understand are the double standards of the Muslim Brothers - or Hadas, as they call themselves in Kuwait - since the treacherous and un-Islamic position which the international Muslim Brothers movement adopted in support of the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait and the “secular” Ba’ath Party.

One can understand the declarations of the UAE officials, the GCC member countries being one cohesive regional organization whose ultimate goal is to become complimentary and to achieve unity. That means that whatever harms one of them harms all the others, as well as the GCC itself as a regional organization . We can also understand such statements since they deal with the activity of a certain group accused of conspiring against the regime in a sister country and having links - according to Brigadier Dahi Khalfan - to its counterpart in Kuwait, which made the Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior dispatch one of its senior officers to witness the investigations in the UAE. This being so, the Muslim Brothers of Kuwait should have rather protested against the blatant and totally unjustified interventions in the internal affairs of Kuwait by some prominent officials of the Muslim Brothers in Egypt. Are such interventions allowed - or rather welcome - when they are made by Muslim Brothers? Or is it that the branch dare not criticize its mother party? I will cite two examples below.

The first example is the letter sent by Dr Mohammad Al-Biltaji, the secretary-general of the Justice and Development Party, a branch of the Muslim Brothers Party in Egypt, to the Kuwaiti newspaper Kuwait News on the eve of the last parliamentary elections in Kuwait. In it, he said, “I hope that the results of the coming elections in Kuwait will be in consonance with the changes brought about by the Arab spring” which means the Muslim Brothers taking control, as happened in Egypt and Tunisia. This statement unleashed criticism from several Kuwaiti patriots like Ali Fahad Al-Rashed, Jamal Al-Omar and Adel Al-Khurafi (see Al-Sabah newspaper, 29/01/2012).

The second example is the statement made by the Egyptian president, Dr. Mohamed Morsi, to the Al-Kuwaitiyyah newspaper (17/06/2012) when he was still a presidential candidate. That statement said: “The Al-Azhar Mosque (in Egypt) and Saudi Arabia will be the leaders of the Sunni project and the Gulf countries will be its wings (i.e. financiers)” Dr Morsi, who conceitedly determined the roles that all Gulf States would get to play in his ugly and segregationist plan, knows well that the Gulf governments and peoples, except for the religious parties, respect their Shiite, Sunni, Christian and Jewish people and reject any policy formulation that harms any of them. Hence, he must have confabulated with his followers in the Gulf about the implementation of his theocratic, Sunni project. By the way, I would like the Kuwaiti Muslim Brothers to tell us as to what stage this project has reached.

If the Kuwaiti Muslim Brothers would not respond to this strange postulation of Dr. Morsi either because they approve of it or because they dare not contradict their bosses and the General Murshid, Fuehrer - I address Dr. Morsi directly and loudly: Thank you very much, but keep your project to yourself, for we do not need it in the Gulf. I also say to the Muslim Brothers of Kuwait: What do you have to say about the two examples cited above? Do you measure foreign interventions with a ruler or with a compass?

Kuwait digest

The value of competency

By Dr Terki Al-Azmi t least 3,000 senior Kuwaiti officials employed at private companies and banks lost their jobs even as many others are struggling to find employment in the face of government apathy, chairman of the board of the Gulf Business Services and Recruitment Group, Majid Al-Terkait, said in a recent statement.

His statement is in line with observations made by senior officials in top private companies to whom I spoke as part of my Ph.D. research. When ownership changes hands, the new owners in most cases replace senior company officials, hiring others not on any merit but often on the basis of personal relations between board members and new recruits.

One of the reasons behind unemployment in the private sector is recruitment of senior level officials through wasta or favoritism. Even when people are nominated by independent recruitment firms, final decision is often based on personal considerations.

This problem is also found in the public sector, but since the private sector has its own particularities, owners are required to look for competent people who can help improve the quality of work.

Therefore, companies are supposed to look for leaders who can help them achieve their desired goals, regardless of their backgrounds.

If we compare this situation with politics, we find that some groups including the Majority Bloc, are not easily accessible and you would need ‘wasta’ to ensure that your opinion reaches across. You may need such networking to even join them. One of the Majority Bloc’s problems is its tendency to ignore others’ opinions either intentionally or deliberately.

Also, they focused too much on the supervisory side of their job at the parliament at the expense of their legislative duties.

If they had waited a little before looking into the reasons behind the 2009 dissolution, their position would have been a lot better today as their approach then would not have been described as ‘vengeful’. And while I do support the Majority Bloc, I believe that its timing was wrong but the problem is

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that they never listened to opinions that were different and focused instead on forming investigation committees.

Just as the private sector is required to carefully select its leaders, the opposition is required to select leaders from outside the former MPs’ group in a similarly careful manner. Achieving desired goals requires experienced leaders who can draw the correct short term and long term roadmaps.

If we compare this situation with politics, we find that some groups including the Majority Bloc, are not easily accessible and you would need ‘wasta’ to ensure that your opinion reaches across. You may need such networking to even join them.

One of the Majority Bloc’s problems is its tendency to ignore others’ opinions either intentionally or deliberately. Also, they focused too much on the supervisory side of their job at the parliament at the expense of their legislative duties.

What fault did a successful company official commit to lose his job just because the ownership has changed? Meanwhile, who is outlining the plans that the opposition will adopt after December 1? Is there a non-MP oppositionist taking part in outlining these plans? —- Al-Rai

Kuwait digest

Stop this madness

By Thaar Al-Rashidi f democracy were to be nurtured and nourished only with dinar power, it would not be democracy in its true sense. If it were to don the robes of tribalism, then it would no more remain democracy but would become something else. Were it to strut around wearing a sectarian outfit, it would be heading off in a direction that would have nothing to do with democracy. And were it to fall back completely into the arms of authority, it would be no more democracy but would rather be considered a mistress of those in power.

We in Kuwait are suffering from the fact that the notion of democracy here assumes one of these four roles, and actually negates its own true form.

Our problem today is not about whether we should be rejecting or accepting the decree issued by the Amir. Our problem is how to disengage the notion of democracy in Kuwait from the forces of tribalism, sectarianism, money and authority. Every time democracy heads off in any of these four directions, it leads us to a disaster.

Everyone, without exception and under the influence of one or more of these four factors, practices a form of politics either deliberately or unwittingly against his opponents, and then they accuse each other of so many bad things.

We must stop this madness, in which sometimes there seems to be a method too, in our approach towards democracy as it is practiced here in Kuwait. It is time to hark back to the basics and delve into the spirit of 1962 when our forefathers approved the constitution and shaped the idea of real democracy. They had retrieved the notion of democracy after decades of partisan political fights in which calls for democracy were just used as a means and were not a goal by themselves. Democracy was to be used for the welfare of the people, not as a form of influence to be employed by one party against the other. It is these fights that have led to where we are in Kuwait today.

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Our society is formed of tribes, sects and various groups. That is how all societies are made. But if each of these groups, tribes or sects were to start practicing democracy in their own way and as per their own understanding, then it would not be democracy but would become something else that would rather kill any notion of democracy. The constitution is not a “buffet” spread from where you can pick up what suits you and leave what you do not like. It is a holistic statute and you can either choose to accept it in its totality or declare that you do not believe in it. Taking one part from it and leaving another part is called political hypocrisy but regretfully that is something being practiced by many these days.

If you start implementing law at your own discretion, then you are practicing partial dictatorship. It makes people fall back upon their sectarian or tribal identities or groups to safeguard their own interests.

It is now clear that we are stuck in a vicious cycle of political confusion these days. Everyone made mistakes in practicing democracy as per their understanding and then we fell into such a state of political confusion which has been going on indefinitely. It must end now through equal application of the law. This is the only way that will not only end the ongoing confusion but will convince the people to once again believe in democracy and automatically stop them running for support from their tribes, sects or groups.

Making everyone subservient to the law without regard to young or old, rich or poor will return Kuwait on to the path of democratic stability. The wheels of growth will once again start rolling without any further hurdles and the country will be rid of the kind of partisanship that we are currently witnessing in the form of blue, orange or red sides.

— Al-Anba

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

Palestinians win more support for statehood

Afghan fraud-buster vows to rein in Kabulbank kingpins Page 11

Page 8

Blasts kill 54 near Syria capital Rebel fighters shoot down fighter jet

JARAMANA: In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian citizens gather at an alley destroyed by two cars bombs, at Jaramana neighborhood, in the suburb of Damascus, Syria, yesterday. — AP JARAMANA: Simultaneous car bombings killed more than 50 civilians and left a trail of destruction in a town near Syria’s capital yesterday, as rebels downed a second military aircraft in as many days. The explosives-packed cars blew up at daybreak in a pro-regime neighbourhood of the mainly Christian and Druze town of Jaramana, residents, state media and a rights watchdog reported. The blasts ripped through a central square near a petrol station, one going off as one of the bomb-laden car was driven against the traffic down a main road lined by many people.

There was a ball of fire at the end of a narrow lane, and the impact of the explosions brought walls down onto cars, crushing them and scattering debris over the ground. Pools of blood and severed body parts were on the streets, said an AFP photographer.

The death toll mounted as the day wore on, with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights giving tallies of 20, then 29, 38 and later 54. All of the dead were civilians. More than 120 people were wounded, and many residents rushed with them to hospital. “What do they want from Jaramana? The town brings together people from all over Syria and welcomes everybody,” one told AFP. Jaramana has now been targeted by four such bomb attacks in three months.

It is home to predominantly Christians

and Druze, an influential minority whose faith is an offshoot of Shiite Islam.

Sectarian divides are a key factor in Syria’s armed rebellion, with many in the Sunni Muslim majority frustrated at more than 40 years of Alawite-dominated rule. The uprising erupted in March 2011 with peaceful democracy protests.

It transformed into an armed insurgency when the government began a bloody crackdown.

The regime of President Bashar alAssad, himself from the Alawite offshoot of Shiite Islam, insists it is fighting foreign-backed “terrorists”. The failure of international diplomacy has enabled it to press on with its all-out military campaign to crush the rebellion, and the fighting has resulted in more than 40,000 deaths, according to the Observatory. In the latest violence, another 24 people were killed across Syria yesterday, according to the watchdog. An AFP correspondent on the SyriaTurkey border reported that rebel fighters shot down a fighter jet in the embattled northwest. The aircraft was hit by a missile and crashed at Daret Ezza, said the Observatory, a Britain-based watchdog that relies on a network of activists and medics on the ground. Witnesses said the rebels later captured one of the pilots. “Two pilots used parachutes to jump out of the plane after it was hit,” a witness told an AFP reporter one kilome-

tre (less than a mile) away in Tourmanin.

“One of them was taken prisoner.” The rebels were seen carrying him and taunting Assad in YouTube videos. “This is your airplane, oh Bashar,” a man said in one video as fire and smoke rose from the mass of broken metal. “The (rebel) Free Syrian Army has downed it.”

It came a day after rebels downed an army helicopter for the first time with a newly acquired ground-to-air missile, in what the Observatory said had the potential to change the balance of military power.

The gunship was on a strafing run near the besieged northwestern base of Sheikh Suleiman, the last garrison in government hands between Syria’s second city Aleppo and the Turkish border.

Little more than a week ago, the rebels seized tanks, armoured vehicles, artillery, 120-mm mortars and rocket launchers when they took the government forces’ sprawling Base 46, about 12 kilometres (eight miles) west of Aleppo.

The rebels, a mix of military defectors and armed civilians, are vastly outgunned but analysts say they are now stretching thin the capabilities of Assad’s war machine and its air supremacy by opening multiple fronts. Risk consultancy group Maplecroft said the regime’s growing reliance on its air power highlights the fact that its ability to quell the insurgency is “limited”.— AFP

grand mufti slams protests as anti-Islamic RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s grand mufti has slammed popular protests across the region as anti-Islamic, saying they only serve to spread chaos, local media reported yesterday. “These protests are not linked in any way to Islam, which promotes dialogue,” Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah Al-Sheikh was quoted as saying by AlEqtisadiah daily. Protests “are dangerous and lead to chaos,” he said, adding that they were used by “enemies to spread chaos the way they did in some Muslim countries.” The grand mufti said that the events occurring in the Arab and Muslim world are a result of the “lack of religion and the disobedience of leaders or the interference by some foreign parties.” The Arab world has been rocked by massive demonstrations for nearly two years leading to the toppling of four autocrats in the region.

Demonstrations are banned in Saudi Arabia-an absolute ultra-conservative monarchy that has remained relatively untouched by the Arab Spring uprisings. —AFP

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Turkey lifts headscarf ban in religious schools ISTANBUL: Turkey has lifted a ban on female students wearing headscarves in schools providing religious education, in a move drawing criticism from secularists who see it as fresh evidence of the government pushing an Islamic agenda.

Education has been one of the main battlegrounds between religious conservatives, who form the bedrock of support for Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party, and secular opponents who accuse him of imposing Islamic values by stealth.

Those secularist fears were fuelled this year when Erdogan said his goal was to raise a “religious youth” and the

AK Party, in power for the past decade, pushed through a reform of the education system which boosted the role of religious schools.

Under the latest regulation, announced on Tuesday and going into effect from the 2013-2014 academic year, pupils at regular schools will also be able to wear headscarves in Koran lessons. Erdogan said the reform, which also ends a requirement for pupils to wear uniform, was taken in response to public demand.

“Let’s allow everyone to dress their child as they wish, according to their means,” he said at a news conference in Madrid on Tuesday. “These are all

steps taken as a result of a demand.”

Rivalry between religious and secular elites is one of the major fault lines in Turkish public life. Erdogan’s Islamist-rooted AK Party has tamed the influence of the military - the selfappointed guardians of secularism since the modern republic was founded in 1923 - over the past decade, but he denies an Islamist agenda.

Last month the military top brass attended a reception in the presidential palace alongside the headscarved wives of the president and prime minister, something that until recently would have been unthinkable. The secularist newspaper Cumhuriyet said

the latest reform was a step towards the Islamisation of education. “This will end with chadors,” a headline in the paper said. The latest reform followed a law approved in March allowing “imam hatip” schools specialising in religious education combined with a modern curriculum to take children from the age of 11 instead of 15.

The Egitim-Sen education sector union was critical of the move on school uniforms and the headscarf.

“The changes in the clothing regulations are important in enabling us to see the intense degree to which the education system is being made religious,” the union said in a statement.

“Religious symbols which spread a religious lifestyle in schools and which will have a negative impact on the psychology of developing children should definitely not be used,” it said.

But others voiced support for the reform. Gurkan Avc , head of the Democratic Educators’ Union (DES), said it had removed a legacy of the Sept. 12, 1980 military coup by changing the dress code.

“We will not be able to rescue the education system from the perverse consequences of the oppression, rituals, dogma and thinking of the ‘cold war’ period until teachers and pupils are liberated,” he said. — Reuters

Palestinians win more support for statehood Switzerland, Denmark, Austria to support UN bid

KILIS: Syrian refugee girls head to school yesterday in the Oncupinar camp in Kilis, southern Turkey. More than 120,000 Syrians have crossed into Turkey to flee the deadly violence that has engulfed their home country for 20 months, according to official figures, although the actual number is likely to be much higher. — AFP

Algeria’s ruling party eyes landslide in local elections ALGIERS: Algeria’s ruling party is eyeing a landslide victory in local elections today, with numerous opposition groups warning of fraud in a poll that could struggle to mobilise a disaffected electorate.

Many of the 52 parties and lists competing for the 1,541 municipal and 48 regional assemblies in energy-rich Algeria have in recent weeks suggested that the outcome of the vote is already known, after claims of widespread fraud in May’s parliamentary election.

Turnout is considered a key issue in today’s ballot. Past elections have been dogged by voter apathy, amid entrenched scepticism over the government’s ability to alleviate Algeria’s pressing social problems, such as joblessness and poor housing. The legislative poll earlier this year saw the ruling coalition of President Abdelazizi Bouteflika tighten its grip on power. The 75-year-old president’s National Liberation Front (FLN) won 221 of the 462 parliamentary seats up for grabs in what was seen as a referendum on the piecemeal political reforms Bouteflika launched in the wake of Arab Spring unrest last year.

Among the reforms was an agreement to allow for the formation of dozens of new political parties, some of which took part in the May election, in which the RND, another party in the presidential alliance, came second with 70 seats.

Abdelaziz Belkhadem, the FLN’s secretary general and former prime minister, expressed confidence the party would repeat its “overwhelming” victory, since it was, he said, “the only political force capable of unifying” the Algerians.

Given the likelihood of such a result, Algeria’s oldest opposition group, the Socialist Forces Front (FFS) has already denounced irregularities, in a country

where every election since the multi-party system was introduced in 1989 has been disputed.

In Kabylie, a region where many of the non-Arab Berber community are suspicious of Bouteflika’s reforms, voter “mobilisation remains strong, so fraud will be minimal,” said the party’s first secretary Ali Laskri.

“But where there is less mobilisation, the regime will not hesitate to commit fraud,” he charged.

During the last three weeks of campaigning, which ended on Monday, many electoral meetings were poorly attended.

The Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD), a secular opposition party which boycotted the parliamentary poll and which, like the FFS, has a strong Kabylie roots, has been equally pessimistic about a fair vote. “ The interior minister (Dahou Ould Kablia) is capable of announcing the results already,” said the party’s president Mohcine Bellabas. On Tuesday, the candidates of six parties running in Algiers, including FLN members, formed an antifraud group to monitor polling stations on Thursday, and denounced a falsification of electoral lists.

“It’s true that this action can only limit the damage, because the electoral process is very complicated,” Salah Benmekki, who heads the RCD’s ticket, was quoted as saying in the Algerian daily Liberty.

The national commission overseeing the elections, which is made up of judges named by the president, said Monday it had received 600 referrals since the registration of candidates began, including “minor offences” relating to the use of violence during campaigning. It said 356 of the referrals were “justified” and 30 them had been transferred to the public prosecutor. — AFP

Protesters rally over flashpoint Abyei region KHARTOUM: About 100 protesters rallied in Khartoum yesterday proclaiming the flashpoint Abyei region Sudanese territory, ahead of a deadline for Sudan and South Sudan to settle the area’s status.

“Abyei 100 percent north Sudanese,” said one banner carried by the group.

“Abyei belongs to Misseriya through the gun,” they shouted, referring to the nomadic Arab Misseriya who regularly graze their animals and move through Abyei where the Dinka tribe have traditionally lived. Dinka are one of the dominant groups in South Sudan.

Oil-producing Abyei was to hold a referendum in January 2011 on whether it belonged with the north or South, but disagreement on who could vote stalled the ballot. The African Union set a deadline of December 5 for the two countries to resolve Abyei’s final status or be bound by an AU proposal for a referendum in October next year.

That proposal was mediated by an AU panel led by former South African president Thabo Mbeki. It gives Dinka the right to vote along with Sudanese with “permanent abode” in the Abyei area.

“Down with the Mbeki proposal,” the

protesters shouted after moving to the AU’s Khartoum office, where they delivered a written complaint.

“Mbeki is an American agent,” they called. Sudanese riot police made no attempt to disrupt the protest, in contrast with their response to anti-government demonstrations which are normally met with tear gas. Sudan’s President Omar alBashir has vowed that “all Misseriya will participate in the Abyei referendum.”

Sudanese troops withdrew from Abyei in May to end a year-long occupation that sent more than 100,000 people fleeing towards South Sudan.

The area is now controlled by United Nations peacekeepers from Ethiopia.

Earlier this month the peacekeepers shot dead a Dinka who was among a group of youths who harassed Misseriya leaders visiting the town, a witness said. When peacekeepers intervened, two Dinka tried to seize their weapons, leading to the shooting, the witness said.

The final status of Abyei was the most sensitive matter left unresolved when South Sudan separated last year under a peace agreement that ended 23 years of civil war.— AFP

GENEVA/RAMALLAH: More European states joined France yesterday in backing a Palestinian bid for limited statehood, but Britain held back, saying it wanted an assurance that the Palestinians would not pursue Israel through the International Criminal Court.

Germany said it was opposing the diplomatic upgrade for the Palestinians at the United Nations, joining Israel and the United States which say the only genuine route to statehood is via a peace agreement made in direct talks with Israel.

Semi-statehood could allow Palestinian territories to access the court and other international bodies. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is leading the campaign and several European governments are eager to give him their support after an eight-day conflict this month between Israel and Islamists in the Gaza Strip, who are pledged to Israel’s destruction and oppose his efforts towards negotiated peace. With overwhelming support from the developing world, the Palestinians appear certain to earn approval in the 193-member U.N. General Assembly for a status upgrade to “observer state” today.

Switzerland, Denmark and Austria said they would vote for the upgrade. France gave its approval on Tuesday. Britain said it would not oppose the move but needed more assurances to give its support. “The first is that the Palestinian Authority should indicate a clear commitment to return immediately to negotiations without preconditions,” Foreign Seretary William Hague told parliament.

“The second assurance relates to membership of other specialised UN agencies and action in the International Criminal Court,” he added. The Swiss approval followed a visit to Berne by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas this month as the country hesitated between voting in favour of the resolution or abstaining.

Abbas had reiterated his commitment to relaunch the peace process immediately following the U.N. vote, the Swiss Foreign Ministry said. Talks have been stalled for two years, mainly over the issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which have expanded despite being

RAMALLAH: Palestinians hold pictures of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper superimposed with a face of a dog during a protest following his remarks about the Palestinian UN bid for an observer state status, in front of Canadian representative offices in the West bank city of Ramallah, yesterday. Harper has threatened “there will be consequences” if Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas does not end his campaign for the Palestinian Authority to be recognized by the UN as a non-member observer state. — AP deemed illegal by most of the world. Germany said it would oppose the Palestinian bid. Berlin has close ties with Israel and has strongly backed the right of the Jewish state to hit back against rocket attacks from Gaza during the latest upsurge of violence in the region. “Our goal in all this is to prevent further negative effects on the already difficult Middle East peace process,” German foreign ministry spokesman Andreas Peschke said.

He reiterated Germany’s support for a two-state solution as the final result of a “just and negotiated settlement”. In Ramallah in the West Bank, senior Palestine Liberation Organization official Hanan Ashrawi said the positive responses from other European states were encouraging and sent a message of hope to all Palestinians. “ This constitutes a historical turning point and opportunity for the world to rectify a grave histori-

cal injustice that the Palestinians have undergone since the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.”

“Now the people of this land, with enormous solidarity, is telling the whole world not only that we exist, but we are on our land and we have a right to self-determination and statehood,” she said.

Israel and the United States have mooted withholding aid and tax revenue that the Palestinian government in the West Bank needs to survive. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has also viewed options that include bringing down Abbas. Israeli, British and US diplomats had tried to persuade the Palestinians to drop their upgrade bid. When that foundered, they focused on trying to get the Palestinians to guarantee that they would forego complaining about Israel to the ICC. The court prosecutes people for genocide, war crimes and other

human rights violations. The Palestinian UN observer, Riyad Mansour, said the Palestinians would not rush to sign up to the ICC if they win the UN status upgrade.

But seeking action against Israel in the court would remain an option, he told a news conference at the United Nations on Tuesday.

Mansour said that if Israel continued to violate international law, particularly by building settlements in the West Bank - territory Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East War - then the Palestinians would consult with friends, including Europe, on what to do next.

The United States has suggested aid for the Palestinians - and possibly some funding for the United Nations - could also be at risk if the Palestinians win the U.N. upgrade.

Israel has said it may cancel the Paris Protocol, an economic accord it maintains with the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority. — Reuters

Clashes in Cairo as Egypt plunges deeper into crisis CAIRO: Egypt yesterday plunged deeper into its worst political crisis since Islamist President Mohamed Morsi took office in June, with massive opposition rallies nationwide signalling a new “revolution” nearly two years after Hosni Mubarak was toppled. Police early Wednesday fired tear gas into Cairo’s Tahrir Square, where several hundred protesters spent the night after a mass rally to denounce Morsi’s power grab.

Clashes that have been erupting on streets just off Tahrir near the US embassy spilled into the square, with canisters falling into the crowd forcing protesters to run and sending clouds of tear gas over the tents housing the demonstrators.

The outskirts of the square have seen sporadic clashes now entering their ninth day, in what started as an anniversary protest to mark one year since deadly confrontations with police in the same area.

Clashes also raged through the night between supporters and opponents of Morsi in the Nile Delta city of Mahalla and the canal city of Port Said.

In Mahalla, 132 people were injured while 27 were hurt in Port Said, medical sources told AFP. According to a security official, calm in both towns had been restored by morning.

Tuesday’s huge turnout for a protest rally in the iconic square in the heart of Cairo, as well as in the

CAIRO: Egyptian riot police detain a man during clashes on Omar Makram street, off Tahrir Square, yesterday in Cairo. Police fired tear gas into Cairo’s Tahrir Square, where several hundred protesters spent the night after a mass rally to denounce President Mohamed Morsi’s assumption of expanded powers. —AFP

Mediterranean city of Alexandria and most of Egypt’s 27 provinces, marked the largest mobilisation yet against the president.

“The revolution returns to the square,” headlined the state-owned daily Al-Akhbar. “Revolution to save the revolution,” said the independent daily Al-Masry Al-Youm in a bold front-page headline.

Protesters are furious at the decree that Morsi announced last Thursday allowing him to “issue any decision or law that is final and not subject to appeal”, which effectively placed him beyond judicial oversight. The move helped consolidate the long-divided opposition, with leading dissidents former UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei and ex-Arab League chief Amr Mussa uniting with former presidential candidates in the face of Morsi and the powerful Muslim Brotherhood, on whose ticket Morsi ran for office.

The Brotherhood and the secular-leaning opposition had stood side by side in Cairo’s Tahrir Square in 2011 as they fought to bring down Mubarak and his regime. But since the strongman’s downfall in February last year, the Islamist movement has been accused of monopolising politics after dominating parliament-following vows not field candidates for a majority of the seats-and backtracking on a promise not to nominate a presidential candidate.

The movement went on to dominate a committee tasked with

drafting the country’s new constitution, prompting a string of walkouts by liberals, leftists and churches who say the panel fails to represent all Egyptians.

Morsi’s decree also bans any judicial body from dissolving the controversial panel, putting him on a collision course with the judiciary.

Several courts have suspended work in protest. The decree is temporary, valid only until a new constitution is in place, and Morsi’s Freedom and Justice Party says the measures are aimed at speeding up a seemingly endless transition.

US officials said Washington was closely following the drama unfolding in Egypt, with a warning that Cairo could put vast amounts of international aid at stake if it veers off the democratic course.

The situation was evolving, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. “I think we don’t yet know what the outcome of those are going to be. But that’s a far cry from an autocrat just saying, my way or the highway,” she said. Nuland stressed that “we want to see Egypt continuing on a reform path to ensure that any money forthcoming from the IMF truly supports a stabilisation and a revitalisation of a dynamic economy based on market principles.”

The International Monetar y Fund on Tuesday said Egypt can still get its $4.8 billion loan, agreed last week, despite the turmoil as long as there is “no major change” in its reform commitments. —AFP

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Addiction counselor charged with murder and driving drunk TORRANCE: The convertible hit Phillip Moreno so hard that it knocked him out of his shoes and lodged him in the windshield. As he lay dying on the hood, police said, Sherri Lynn Wilkins kept going another two miles until other motorists swarmed her car at a traffic light and grabbed her keys.

Wilkins, who was charged Tuesday with murder and driving drunk, told police she struck the man after leaving work and panicked. Police said her blood alcohol level was more than double the legal limit.

Her arrest on a street corner between home and her job as a drug and alcohol counselor seemed to be a return to a dark past that Wilkins once celebrated leaving behind. The convict and recovering addict had recently gone back to school, gotten a job and was reuniting with her family, including a new grandchild.

“It’s a really tragic situation for both parties,” said her neighbor, Crystal Witherspoon. “I’m trying to understand it myself, because from what I knew of her, she was a kind-hearted person. She was trying very hard.” Tami Jimenez, a recovering alcoholic who worked with Wilkins, said the case serves

as a bitter reminder for all addicts about the dangers of relapse. “I’m headed for a meeting tonight,” she said. “It’s unfortunate and it’s tragic and it’s sad, but it’s a reminder that the disease of addiction can take you out at any time.”

Wilkins’ arraignment was postponed until next month at a brief court hearing Tuesday. She was ordered held on $2.25 million bail.

Twenty members of Moreno’s extended family attended the hearing and spoke afterward of the fun-loving man who adored the Lakers and the Raiders and was a whiz at remembering sports statistics. Moreno was nicknamed “Chud” because of his love of Budweiser beer and spent his last day watching college football with friends. “We thank the citizens who stopped Wilkins and gave him some peace in his waning moments,” family attorney Kevin Danesh said outside court.

“Anyone who would dare to drink and drive, let this be a lesson to them.” Danesh said the family is also seeking answers about where Wilkins was before the accident.

Her boss has said it was unlikely she was coming from work, as she told police, so late on a Saturday.

Moreno had three beers at a

bar called The Branch Office just a half-block from the accident scene on Saturday and left around 11 pm to walk home, said bartender Virginia Zarate. Less than an hour later, police swarmed the streets, tracing their way back to the initial impact, she said.

“We started seeing a bunch of lights and we went out, and the cops said it was a hit-and-run, but we had no clue who it was,” she said as a memorial of balloons, flowers and candles sprouted up down the street.

Wilkins’ arrest shocked friends, who said she was working to rebuild her life after a criminal record stretching back more than 20 years. She attended Loyola Marymount University, where she was enrolled in an alcohol and drug counseling certification program and was hired by Twin Town Treatment Centers a year ago to work with other addicts in a group setting, said David Lisonbee, the company CEO. She ran evening sessions at the Torrance location and consistently received high marks on evaluations by patients, he said. Wilkins often stayed late to meet one-onone with patients who were struggling and helped one client with

homework assignments after realizing he couldn’t read, Jimenez said. “We’ve gotten some calls from people saying, ‘She really saved my life,’” Jimenez said.

“Everybody loved Sherri, the employees, the patients, just everybody loved her.” Most recently, Wilkins was thrilled with the birth of her granddaughter - her first grandchild - but struggled with ankle pain from an accident and was considering surgery to fix the problem, Jimenez said.

On her Myspace profile, Wilkins noted that she had been drug-free for 11 years, was a Buddhist and was planning trips to Chicago to see her daughter, a medical intern, and to Hawaii.

“I used to be into drugs very heavy, with that came terrible choices, the loss of all my family and freedom. Today four of my children are in my life,” Wilkins wrote. Lisonbee, her boss, confirmed the woman in the Myspace profile was Wilkins.

Court records show Wilkins was convicted of first-degree burglary in 1989 and a month later of having narcotics while in custody. In 1994, she was convicted along with a co-defendant on one count of burglary and given nine years in

TORRANCE: Sherri Wilkins, a substance abuse counselor, appears in Los Angeles Superior Court in Torrance, Calif., Tuesday. Wilkins, 51, who was allegedly driving under the influence, has been accused of striking a pedestrian and then driving for more than two miles with the dying victim lodged in the windshield and on the hood of her car. — AP prison. In 2001, Wilkins was convicted of having a controlled substance into a jail or a prison, said Luis Patino, spokesman for the California Department of Corrections. Prison records show she was paroled in 2008, he said.

Two years later, Wilkins was arrested for hit-and-run after she

knocked over a power pole that was then hit by three other cars, said Assistant City Attorney Patrick Sullivan. She had no alcohol or drugs in her system, however, and the case was dismissed when she and the owners of other vehicles reached an agreement, he said. — AP

US Senate works on new package of Iran sanctions Sanctions to end Turkey’s game of gold for natural gas WASHINGTON: New sanctions aimed at reducing global trade with Iran in the energy, shipping and metals sectors may soon be considered by the US Senate as part of an annual defense policy bill, senators and aides said on Tuesday.

The sanctions legislation, which has not yet been unveiled, comes during a crowded calendar as the Senate races to deal with deficit reduction, the defense bill and other pressing

issues by the end of the year.

The package would build on current US sanctions, passed almost a year ago, that have slashed Iran’s oil revenues. The goal is to pressure Tehran to stop efforts to enrich uranium to levels that could be used in weapons.

Tehran has said its nuclear program is strictly for civilian purposes.

Democratic Senator Robert Menendez and Republican Mark Kirk have craft-

ed new sanctions that would punish foreign banks that handle transactions for a broad sector of industries, including shipping, ports, ship building and more types of energy.

“Our significant effort right now is in pursuing areas of the economy that can lead to proliferation - energy, shipping, to mention a few,” Menendez said in a brief hallway interview. US persons and companies have long been barred from doing

business with Iranian entities. These new sanctions apply to foreign banks, threatening to ban them from the US financial system unless they cut their dealings with Iran.

Senator Carl Levin, the Democratic chairman of the Armed Ser vices Committee, said he was reviewing a draft version of the sanctions and was amenable to the measures being added to the defense bill.

“It’s fine with me,” Levin said.

Hugo Chavez heading to Cuba for more treatment CARACAS: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced plans to travel to Cuba as early as Tuesday for more medical treatment after spending much of the past 18 months fighting cancer.

In a written request to the legislature, Chavez said doctors have recommended he “begin special treatment consisting of various sessions of hyperbaric oxygenation” and physical therapy to continue “consolidating the process of strengthening health.”

The request did not provide more details about the treatment or Chavez ’s condition and was promptly approved by allied lawmakers at a special session in the city of Maracay. National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello read the request on television.

It said Chavez would travel to Cuba as soon as Tuesday. It did not say how long he will stay, though it said he would be back by Jan. 10, when he is being sworn in for a fourth term. Venezuelan law requires presidents to receive legislative approval before leaving the country for extended periods.

The treatment that Chavez is to undergo generally involves breathing pure oxygen while in a pressurized, sealed chamber. Its value is well-established for treating burns, carbon monoxide poisoning and some other medical conditions, and to aid wound healing and help repair bone and tissue damaged by radiation treatments.

However, the American Cancer Society says there is no evidence the treatment can cure cancer.

Hyperbaric oxygen treatment is employed by doctors in Cuba for the rehabilitation of patients with chronic illnesses, said Jesus Pena, a Venezuelan internist with a private practice in Caracas. But Pena said the announcement after a period of silence about Chavez’s condition raises suspicions about the reasons behind the treatment.

The 58-year-old president first

ments, Chavez kept many details of his illness secret, including the type of cancer and the precise location of the tumors.

Opposition lawmaker Alfonso Marquina expressed concern about what he said seems to be a “veiled or deliberate attempt to continue creating uncertainty.”

Marquina told The Associated Press in a phone interview that if

CARACAS: In this Oct 9, 2012 file photo, Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez pauses during a press conference in front of a portrait of independence hero Simon Bolivar, at the Miraflores palace in Caracas, Venezuela. Chavez has asked his country’s legislature for permission to travel to Cuba for more medical treatment after spending much of the past 18 months fighting cancer. — AP underwent cancer treatment in Cuba in June 2011 and suffered a relapse in February. He has since said he’s recovered from the pelvic cancer and won re -election in October. Throughout his previous chemotherapy and radiation treat-

Chavez is traveling to Cuba for normal medical treatment as his request says, “the correct thing to do would be for a much more precise medical report to be given, and to not continue on with this sort of permanent uncertainty.”

Dr. Michael Pishvaian, an oncologist at Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in the United States, said several of his patients have received hyperbaric oxygen treatment, usually to promote the healing of wounds or damage to nerves and muscles that can be caused by radiation therapy. Pishvaian said such cases are unusual.

“These are definitely cases that the patients are really suffering from the side effects ... of the radiation therapy, and we don’t know how to help them and hyperbaric oxygen is kind of something we reach for as a last resort,” Pishvaian said. He said that while it’s unclear why Chavez is having the treatment, “it may be promoting wound healing if there’s something about the surgical site or his prior radiation sites that aren’t healing well.”

Chavez last appeared publicly during a televised meeting on Nov. 15, prompting some critics to publicly wonder where he went after his election win.

Chavez was absent on Tuesday from a military air show in Maracay where some Venezuelans had speculated he could reappear. Before the announcement of Chavez ’s plans to return to Cuba, opposition newspaper editor Teodoro Petkoff published an editorial in the daily Tal Cual on Tuesday criticizing the president’s long absence from the public eye.

Under the headline “The invisible man,” Petkoff said: “The health of those who govern can’t be a secret.” — AP

“Going in, I favor strengthening any way we can the sanctions against Iran.” The package seeks to ban financial transactions with any person or organization blacklisted for their association with the Iranian government, as well as sales of metallurgical coal and precious metals, a congressional aide said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The sanctions would end “Turkey’s game of gold for natural gas,” a senior Senate aide said, refer-

ring to reports that Turkey has been paying for natural gas with gold due to sanctions rules. The legislation “would bring economic sanctions on Iran near de facto trade embargo levels with the hope of speeding up the date by which Iran’s economy will collapse,” the aide said.

The legislation will also impose new bans on insurance and re-insurance for shipments of a broader range of goods, aides said. —Reuters

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Russian mafia whistleblower found dead outside UK mansion LONDON: A Russian businessman helping Swiss prosecutors uncover a powerful fraud syndicate has died in mysterious circumstances outside his mansion in Britain, in a chilling twist to a Russian mafia scandal that has strained Moscow’s ties with the West.

Alexander Perepilichny, 44, sought refuge in Britain three years ago and had been helping a Swiss investigation into a Russian money-laundering scheme by providing evidence against corrupt officials, his colleagues and media reports said. He has also provided evidence against those linked to the 2009 death of anti-corruption lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, a case that caused an international outcry and prompted the United States to push for a bill cracking down on Russian corruption.

Perepilichny, a Russian citizen, collapsed and died abruptly outside his home on an upmarket estate in the English county of Surrey on Nov. 10, police said on Wednesday, the first time the case has come to light.

Perepilichny is the fourth person linked to the Magnitsky case to have died in strange circumstances. “It is being treat-

ed as unexplained,” a police spokeswoman said. “A post-mortem examination was carried out which was inconclusive. So further tests are now being carried out.”

British media reports said Perepilichny appeared to be in good health when he collapsed in the evening outside St George’s Hill, one of Britain’s most exclusive estates, where he was renting a house for 12,500 pounds ($20,000) a month.

Dubbed as Britain’s Beverly Hills and surrounded by neatly trimmed golf courses, the sprawling leafy estate is home to many prominent magnates and celebrities, its list of one-time tenants boasting stars such as Elton John and Ringo Starr.

Far beyond Russia’s borders, Magnitsky’s death has become a symbol of corruption in Russia and the abuse of those who challenge the authorities there. This month the US House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to “name and shame” Russian rights violators as part of a broader trade bill, brushing off warnings from Moscow that the move would damage relations.

William Browder, a former employer of

Magnitsky and a prominent Londonbased investor, said Perepilichny had come forward in 2010 with evidence involving the Magnitsky case that subsequently helped Swiss prosecutors open their investigation.

“Alexander Perepilichny approached us in 2010 as a whistleblower with evidence about the complicity of a number of Russian government officials in the theft of $230 million which Sergei Magnitsky had uncovered,” said Browder, founder of Hermitage Capital Management.

“He provided us with copies of many of the original bank documents. In January 2011, Hermitage filed an application to the Swiss authorities seeking an investigation. It was announced in March that the Swiss prosecutor’s office opened an investigation and froze the assets in a number of accounts.”

Browder, whose grandfather was the general secretar y of the American Communist Par ty, was one of the biggest Western investors in Russia but was barred from Russia in late 2005 and most of his staff left the country as Hermitage found itself coming under

increasing official pressure.

Magnitsky was jailed in 2008 on suspicion of tax evasion and fraud, charges that colleagues say were fabricated by police investigators he had accused of stealing $230 million from the state through fraudulent tax refunds. The Kremlin’s own human rights council has said Magnitsky was probably beaten to death.

Leaked secret diplomatic cables from the US embassy in Moscow once described Russia as a “virtual mafia state”, and London has long been the chosen destination for Russians seeking refuge from trouble at home.

But concerns have been growing in recent years that Britain might be turning into a playground for Russian mobsters as gangland violence seems to be spilling over Russian borders. In April, a former Russian banker was shot near London’s Canary Wharf financial district, sending a chill through the immigrant community.

In 2006, former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko died after drinking tea poisoned with polonium-210.

Asked about Perepilichny’s case, Swiss prosecutors said it started its criminal

investigation in March 2011 following a complaint made by London law firm Brown Rudnick filed on behalf of Hermitage Capital Management.

“Concerning the death of Mr Perepilichny and its consequences on the criminal proceedings, we’d like to stress that our strength resides in our ability to minimise the influence of such a regretful event on our investigation,” the Swiss Office of the Attorney General said in a statement.

“A good cooperation with other judicial authorities is also essential to carry on our investigation efficiently.” Perepilichny was also a witness against Russia’s notorious Klyuyev Group, a murky network of officials and underworld figures implicated in tax fraud who used European bank accounts to buy luxury property in Dubai and Montenegro, Britain’s Independent newspaper reported.

“Perepilichny was the guy who brought all the evidence they needed to open the investigation,” a source told The Independent. “He brought with him records of shell companies, Credit Suisse accounts, property transactions. The whole lot.” — Reuters

DR Congo rebels begin Goma pullout UN accuse Rwanda, Uganda for backing rebels

BERLIN: Picture taken on January 30, 2011 shows police officers walking along the railway track in front of the collision damaged locomotive of a freight train at the scene of a collision between a passenger train and a goods train, killing 10 people and leaving many more injured in Hordorf, some 190 km west of Berlin.

The driver of the freight train that smashed into the passenger train received a year’s suspended sentence yesterday for manslaughter and negligent bodily harm. — AFP

British lawmakers warn against muzzling press LONDON: More than 80 British lawmakers warned yesterday against state regulation of newspapers as Prime Minister David Cameron prepared to receive a key report into the phone-hacking scandal.

The cross-party group of legislators said in a letter published in the Guardian and the Daily Telegraph newspapers that introducing laws to govern Britain’s raucous press would be the biggest blow to media freedom in 300 years.

But a new poll showed that 60 percent of the public favour implementing the recommendations of judge Brian Leveson’s inquiry into media ethics, due to be announced Thursday, even if Leveson calls for statutory regulation.

Cameron ordered the inquiry after the discovery of widespread illegal hacking of voicemails at Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World tabloid, which the Australian-born tycoon closed in July 2011. “As parliamentarians, we believe in free speech and are opposed to the imposition of any form of statutory control even if it is dressed up as underpinning,” said the letter, signed by members of both houses of parliament.

It added: “No form of statutory regulation of the press would be possible without the imposition of state licensing-abolished in Britain in 1695.” London 2012 Olympics chief Sebastian Coe was among the senior Conservatives who signed the letter, as well as former defence minister Liam Fox and former Europe minister David Davis.

One MP from the Liberal Democrat coalition partners, John Hemming, also signed along with several Labour lawmakers, including Kate Hoey, a former sports minister, and Frank Field, a former welfare minister.

But Hollywood actor Hugh Grant, who

has spoken out on behalf of victims of phone hacking, said the letter had misrepresented what campaigners wanted. “What people are campaigning for is an end to newspapers being able to regulate themselves, marking their own homework,” the “Four Weddings and a Funeral” star told BBC television.

The British press is currently self-regulated through the widely criticised Press Complaints Commission. Grant added: “No one is arguing for statutory regulation that I have ever heard of. They are arguing for independent regulation underpinned by statute, which is a very, very different beast.”

Cameron is due to receive a copy of the report at 1330 GMT on Wednesday, 24 hours before Leveson makes the findings public. He is under no obligation to implement Leveson’s recommendations, but having taken the decision to set up the inquiry he is likely to face heavy criticism if he takes no action.

On the other hand Cameron also faces deep divisions in his own party and even a possible rebellion within the Conservative ranks if he agrees to any statutory regulation of newspapers.

Forty-two MPs from the centre-right Conservatives-who are the senior partners in a coalition government with the centrist Liberal Democrats-wrote an earlier letter calling for strong new press laws. A poll published in yesterday’s Guardian found strong public support for tough legislation.

According to the YouGov poll taken on behalf of the Media Standards Trust, 79 percent were in favour of an independent press regulator established by law while 60 percent believed Cameron should implement Leveson’s recommendations.— AFP

Kazakhstan fetes Nazarbayev under shadow of crackdown ASTANA: Kazakhstan this weekend celebrates a new national holiday honouring strongman President Nursultan Nazarbayev, at a time when opposition groups are complaining of an unprecedented crackdown under the country’s first and only leader since the Soviet Union’s collapse.

Saturday’s holiday will take place almost a year after deadly clashes between striking oil workers and police in the Caspian town of Zhanaozen, in what became Kazakhstan’s worst post-Soviet unrest and sparked legal attacks on the opposition.

The Day of the First President holiday marks the December 1 date when Nazarbayev was first elected president of Kazakhstan in 1991, several weeks before the collapse of the Soviet Union.

“It is clear that the new holiday may point towards a cult of personality in Kazakhstan,” leading Kazakh analyst Dosym Satpayev said. “The trends of the last years show that this cult is growing. And to a significant degree, it is being encouraged and supported by the president’s circle.

“History will show his true historical place. So you have to have a philosophical attitude towards the holiday,” Satpayev told AFP. Regarded by his admirers as a national leader comparable to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, or Indian nationalist Mahatma Gandhi, the 72year-old Nazarbayev has ruled the energyrich state unchallenged for two decades.

He has overseen the construction of a new showpiece capital Astana which has been transformed from a sleepy outpost in the steppe into a booming city that won the right to host the EXPO world fair in 2017.

The president won the last elections in 2011 with an astonishing 95.5 percent of the vote and now holds the title “Elbasi”, which means leader of the nation in Kazakh.

An international forum called “The First Nazarbayev Readings” organised by the Kazakh government will be held to discuss the subject of a “New Kazakhstan in a New World” at the newly-founded Nazarbayev University in Astana.— AFP

GOMA: Rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo have begun pulling out of the strategic eastern city of Goma, residents told local officials yesterday, following a diplomatic push to prevent the conflict spreading across the volatile region.

The Red Cross reported that it had buried 62 people whose bodies were found in the streets of Goma in the days following its capture by the M23 rebel group, which launched an uprising against the DR Congo government in April.

Residents said dozens of trucks carrying food and ammunition had left Goma, the main city in the resource-rich region on the borders of Rwanda and Uganda which has been the flashpoint for past wars in central Africa’s largest country.

At stake is control of Kivu’s vast mineral wealth, which include cobalt, copper, diamonds, gold and coltan, a key component in mobile phones. UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous said the process of pulling out had apparently already begun, a week after the rebels easily overran Goma as they swept across the east, heightening fears of a major conflict in the troubled region and a humanitarian crisis.

“It seems that the advances have stopped,” he said late Tuesday.

“If anything there were signs tonight that they were either getting out of Goma or getting ready to do that.”

But he said the withdrawal could only be confirmed by the UN peacekeeping mission in DR Congo yesterday. In the streets of Goma, life appeared to be returning to normal, AFP correspondents said.

Shops were open, taxis were running and while there were a few rebels posted at junctions, their presence has been scaled down considerably.

A Western military source has estimated the number of rebels at 1,500 in the North Kivu region of which Goma is the capital. A local official said residents had reported

GOMA: A Goma resident holds up a banner in French reading, “No to war, yes to dialogue, the truth and national unity” as he gathers with others for an anti President Joseph Kabila demonstration supported by the M23 rebel movement in Goma, eastern Congo, yesterday. — AP that the trucks were heading towards Rutshuru and Rumangabo, both rebel-held towns north of Goma. M23 military commander Sultani Makenga, who was hit this month by UN and US sanctions over alleged atrocities committed by the rebels, said on Tuesday that the fighters had started moving out provisions, medical supplies and ammunition towards Rutshuru.

The rebel moves come after a weekend summit of regional African leaders called on the M23 to pull out of Goma, but also urged the DR Congo government of President Joseph Kabila to address their grievances.

The rebellion erupted in April when the M23, largely made up of ethnic Tutsis, broke away from the DR Congo army, complaining that a 2009 peace deal to end a previous conflict had not been fully implemented.

On Tuesday, Makenga said his

men would quit Goma “in three days at the latest” and would pull back 20 kilometres (12 miles) under a deal struck in Kampala with an east African regional group after the weekend summit.

But the group’s political leader Jean-Marie Runiga told journalists that they had a list of demands, including direct talks with Kabila, who was re-elected last year in a flawed presidential vote, and the dissolution of the electoral commission. They have also demanded release of opposition standardbearer Etienne Tshisekedi, a former prime minister who has been under unofficial house arrest since declaring himself the victor of last year’s election.

Yesterday, Congo’s Red Cross said that its workers had picked up and buried 62 bodies from the streets of Goma in the days following its capture by the rebels. “The bodies were picked up between Wednesday (November 21) and

Friday,” its president Dominique Lutula told AFP. “They are those of civilians and soldiers, only adults.”

The M23 rebellion has already displaced tens of thousands of people, their swift advance across the east of the country raising fears of yet another major conflict in the war-blighted region.

The UN has issued a damning report accusing both Rwanda, and to a lesser extent Uganda, of backing the rebels. Both countries vehemently deny the allegations.

But the scope of the advance suggested that the M23 had outside help. In just a week, the rebels expanded their area of control from one small corner of North Kivu to cover almost the entire province, an area twice the size of Belgium. Rights group and UN officials have accused the rebels of atrocities, including the killings, rapes and abductions of civilians, which forced tens of thousands to flee their homes.— AFP

Truce collapses in French rightists’ leadership crisis PARIS: French conservative JeanFrancois Cope shattered a shortlived truce yesterday in the dispute over his victory in a leadership election last week, thrusting the party of former president Nicolas Sarkozy deeper into crisis.

Members of the UMP opposition party had breathed a sigh of relief on Tuesday when Sarkozy stepped in to mediate a deal, getting the

warring factions to agree to hold a referendum on whether to repeat the contested Nov. 18 vote.

Despite rival Francois Fillon’s move to form a separate parliamentary group in recent days, Cope had initially said on Tuesday evening he would accept the deal. But interviewed on French radio yesterday, he said a referendum could not be held as long as Fillon persisted with

PARIS: French President of the Union for a Popular Movement right-wing opposition party (UMP) Jean-Francois Cope (right), gestures during a press conference at the party headquarters yesterday in Paris next to French MP Michele Tabarot (L). — AFP

the plan for a breakaway wing.

“The red line has been crossed and I draw the consequences from that,” Cope told Europe 1 radio. “I don’t believe the conditions are in place (to hold a referendum).”

Sarkozy, who had kept a low profile since losing a re-election bid in May and vowing to quit politics, has re-emerged on the scene as the only man able to save the party he led before being elected president in 2007.

As the truce unravelled, members of Sarkozy’s entourage told French media that he was unlikely to make a public statement. The crisis over finding a successor to the former president has brought the normally disciplined centreright UMP back to an era of warring factions and mutual suspicion ten years after it was formed to unify fractious right-wing currents.

While Fillon, who sits at the centre of his party, and the more hardright Cope have both said they want to keep the UMP intact.

Fillon, who was a popular prime minister under Sarkozy, said his breakaway group would rejoin the UMP and drop all legal procedures disputing the vote if par ties reached a deal on how to hold a referendum.

An independent commission would have to guarantee a clean

vote and equal terms, he said in a statement. For Cope - who has repeatedly declared victory, most recently after an adjusted ballot count by the par ty ’s internal appeals commission gave him a 952-vote lead over Fillon - it was a signal to tighten his grip on the party.

“This is not going to work,” said one of his supporters at the party headquarters, asking not to be named. “If they want to go to the courts, then let them.” With the UMP ’s woes over whelming all political coverage on three 24-hour news channels, even members of President Francois Hollande’s Socialist government were pleading for it to end.

“It’s no reason to smile because in reality, people are fed up - we have the feeling that this is more about a war of egos,” Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told France Inter radio.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen told Reuters the UMP’s crisis was an opportunity to position her National Front as the country’s foremost opposition party. She says requests to join her party have shot up in recent days.

“All of this... should be a reason to be hopeful because it allows us to lay the groundwork for a new era,” she said. — Reuters

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

US special envoy to Pakistan, Afghanistan to leave WASHINGTON: The US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan is stepping down, an official said Tuesday, in yet another shake-up of President Barack Obama’s foreign policy team.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, herself set to leave office early next year, had pulled envoy Marc Grossman out of retirement to take on the difficult job shortly after the sudden death of veteran diplomat Richard Holbrooke in December 2010.

“After almost two years in the position, and with Secretary Clinton’s agreement, he will return to private life,” Grossman’s spokeswoman Laura Lucas

told AFP in a statement.

Clinton thanked Grossman for building “a diplomatic surge” and an intense global focus which “have put in place a network of regional and international support for Afghanistan post 2014 and into the next decade,” Lucas added.

“His work also helped set the conditions for an Afghan peace process that will enable Afghans to talk with other Afghans in pursuit of a negotiated settlement to end decades of conflict.”

Grossman, 61, has travelled relentlessly in the region, and his behind-the-scenes efforts helped

persuade Pakistan to reopen its border crossings with Afghanistan to NATO convoys earlier this year.

They had been closed amid a row over the killing of 24 Pakistani troops in a US air strike.

His work over the past two years had also supported Obama’s “objectives to disrupt and defeat Al-Qaeda and ensure that Afghanistan can no longer become a safe haven for terrorists,” Lucas added.

Grossman will step down next month and ambassador David Pearce, currently principal deputy special representative, will serve as the act-

ing special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Grossman served at the US embassy in Pakistan from 1977 to 1979 and rose steadily through the ranks of the US Foreign Service. He also assisted Holbrooke in the Dayton peace talks that ended the Bosnian war.

He also served as undersecretary of state for political affairs-the top position for a career diplomat-from 2001 to 2005, when he faced the tough challenge of mending US relationships overseas during the Iraq war. — AFP

Afghan fraud-buster vows to rein in Kabulbank kingpins Courts will ‘spare no one’

DHAKA: Bangladeshi garment workers vandalize a three-wheeler auto rickshaw during a protest in Asulia yesterday following a deadly fire in a garment factory.

Bangladesh police fired rubber bullets to disperse thousands of workers who protested for a third day yesterday over the nation’s worst factory blaze which prompted the arrest of three plant managers. — AFP

Protests rage over Bangladesh factory fire, supervisors arrested DHAKA: Three supervisors of a Bangladeshi garments factory were arrested yesterday as protests over a fire that killed more than 100 people raged on into a third day, with textile workers and police clashing in the streets of a Dhaka suburb. The government has blamed last weekend’s disaster, the country’s worstever industrial blaze, on saboteurs and police said they had arrested two people who were seen on CCTV footage trying to set fire to stockpiles of cotton in another factory.

The fire at Tazreen Fashions has put a spotlight on global retailers that source clothes from Bangladesh, where wage costs are low as little as $37 a month for some workers.

Rights groups have called on Western firms to sign up to a safety programme in the world’s second-biggest clothes exporter.

US retailer Sears Holdings Corp said on Tuesday its clothing was not meant to be made in that textile factory, and was investigating reports that one of its brands had been found in the charred debris.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc, the world’s largest retailer, said one of its suppliers subcontracted work to the burned factory without authorisation and would no longer be used.

Witnesses said that at least 20 people were injured on Wednesday in the capital’s industrial suburb of Ashulia as police pushed back protesters demanding safer factories and punishment for those responsible for the blaze, which killed 111 workers and injured more than 150.

Thousands of workers poured out onto the roads, blocking traffic, as the authorities

closed most of the 300 garment factories in the area. They were driven back by riot police using tear gas and batons.

Three employees of Tazreen Fashions - an administrative officer, a stores manager and a security supervisor - were arrested and paraded in front of the media. Dhaka District Police Chief Habibur Rahman told Reuters they would be investigated for suspected negligence. He said that police were investigating complaints from some survivors that factory managers stopped workers from running out of the multi-storey building when a fire alarm went off. Representatives of the Tazreen Fashions factory, including the owner, were not available for comment.

The country’s interior minister, Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, has blamed arsonists for the fire. Adding to the case for sabotage, CCTV footage aired on a news channel showed two employees of another factory in the Ashulia area trying to set fire to stockpiles of cotton.

Police chief Rahman said a woman and a man, who were identified from the video, had been taken into custody. The clip shows a woman dressed in a mauve head scarf and a traditional loose garment on her own passing through a room with garments piled neatly in various places on a table. She briefly disappears from view beneath the table and then is shown again walking through the room and out of range of the camera.

Smoke soon begins billowing, first slowly then more rapidly, from the place where the woman was seen beneath the table. Workers come running in and try to douse it using vari-

KABUL: The chief investigator probing Afghanistan’s biggest ever financial scandal says he will stop at nothing to put the real culprits in a multi-million dollar bank fraud behind bars.

As a result, Judge Shamsul Rahman Shams fears for his life. Even for a country ranked as one of the world’s most corrupt, the shocking theft of about $935 million from the Kabulbank two years ago and the subsequent foot-dragging in prosecuting those responsible underlines concerns about Afghanistan’s ability to manage its finances and enforce the rule of law.

The tough-talking Shams, conscious his country is under close scrutiny over how it handles the embarrassing case, says no-one-regardless of political or business connections- will be spared.

“We are flexing our muscles with the big guys who could easily get rid of us, but we are committed to solve this case,” said Shams, who heads a special court investigating 22 people in the scam that brought the commercial bank to its knees.

“We know it’s a dangerous task but we’re not scared. I don’t have a bodyguard and as soon as I announce the rulings I’ll be in trouble,” Shams told Reuters in his bunker-like office in a basement of a fortified Kabul house.

The bank’s collapse triggered a financial crisis, civil disorder and a run on deposits, worrying foreign donors and embarrassing the US and Afghan governments, which had touted its credentials as a modern lender integral to developing a tiny economy crippled by war and mismanagement.

The government bailed out the country’s then biggest lender, and relaunched it as the state-run New Kabul Bank. The list of those implicated appears like a page from a who’s who of finance and big business in Afghanistan. Among them are the bank’s current and former chiefs, its founder and the brothers of President Hamid Karzai and his first vice-president, Mohammad Qasim Fahim.

A report released yesterday detailed for the first time allegations of poor or reluctant law enforcement, political interference, questionable oversight by foreign auditors and institutionalised fraud by Kabulbank officials.

The outcome of the case is seen as a crucial barometer of Afghanistan’s commitment to stabilising the economy and its fight against corruption, two years out from the withdrawal of most foreign troops and a possible winding down of billions of dollars in international aid.

The probe by the government-funded Independent Joint Anti-Corruption and Evaluation Committee named no individuals but revealed two sets of books were kept by Kabulbank, one to satisfy regulators and another tracking the real disbursement of funds through a loan-book scheme

S Lanka clash over Tamil rebel remembrance COLOMBO: Students in Sri Lanka’s former war zone clashed with troops and police yesterday over celebrations to commemorate defeated Tamil Tiger guerrillas, residents said. At least 20 undergraduates were injured when troops and police beat up stone-pelting students outside Jaffna university, a witness said.

It was first major clash since security forces crushed Tamil rebels in May 2009. Police and troops had stormed university dormitories on Tuesday searching for Tamil Tiger propaganda after students tried to mark “heroes’ week”-the last week of November when Tiger guerrillas used to commemorate fallen comrades.

“The students gathered inside the This handout photograph released by Pakistan’s Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) yesterday, shows a Hatf V Ghauri nuclear-capable ballistic missile launching from an undisclosed location in Pakistan.

Pakistan yesterday test fired a nuclear-capable ballistic missile with a range of 1,300 kilometres (800 miles), the military said. — AFP

university and came out to protest the military action (of Tuesday) when fighting erupted (on Wednesday),” a witness said, asking not to be identified. He said the vehicle of a local Tamil legislator was also damaged as he tried to stop the violence. There was no immediate comment from the military, but the AdaDerana news website published photos soon after Tuesday’s military raid of the campus along with one image of a student on the ground being beaten by three policemen.

Tuesday’s incident degenerated into a bigger confrontation on Wednesday as students protested at the military intrusion into their hostels, leaving more than 20 students injured, witnesses said. Sri Lanka lifted a state of emer-

gency in August last year after defeating Tamil Tigers in May 2009, but heavily armed troops and paramilitary police units are often deployed to support police.

Jaffna, the cultural capital of the island’s ethnic Tamil minority, was once run as a de-facto separate state by the Tigers. The latest clashes between the troops and students came amid international calls to de-militarise Jaffna, 400 kilometres (250 miles) north of Colombo, and ease restrictions on the civilian population.

Tiger rebels had led a 37-year-long guerrilla war for an independent Tamil homeland in a campaign that claimed more than 100,000 lives, according to UN estimates. — AFP

Pakistan test fires nuclear capable missile ISLAMABAD: Pakistan yesterday test fired a nuclear-capable ballistic missile with a range of 1,300 kilometres (800 miles), the military said.

The military described the Hatf V Ghauri missile as a liquid fuel missile, which can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads.

It was Pakistan’s eighth missile test so far this year and comes two months after its last test of a Hatf-VII with a range of 700 kilometres. Five of those tests were conducted within a few weeks after arch-rival India in April successfully test fired the Agni V, which can deliver a one-tonne nuclear warhead anywhere in China, marking a major advance in its military capabilities.

India and Pakistan have fought three warstwo over the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir-and have routinely carried out missile tests since both demonstrated nuclear weapons capability in 1998. Defence analysts say India’s strategic priorities are focused more on China, while Pakistan is still concerned about its eastern neighbour. — AFP

KABUL: Books containing the reports on Kabul Bank crisis are seen piled up to be distributed to media members during the release of the report in Kabul, Afghanistan, yesterday. The bank’s failure and subsequent bailout represents more than 5 percent of Afghanistan’s gross domestic product, making it “one of the largest banking failures in the world,” according to the report by the Independent Joint Anti-Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Committee. — AP for proxy borrowers. They used forged supporting documents, fake business stamps and statements provided by accounting firms complicit in the scam.

The report was also critical of “clean assessments” from independent auditors. It also showed how stolen funds were concealed-disguised as large expenses, bonuses, rents and salary payments to ghost staffers. Some funds were siphoned out of the country either electronically or in cash aboard Pamir Airways, owned by shareholders linked to the bank.

Those handling the bank investigation have been accused of being sluggish. Shams, the judge leading the probe, said the process is extremely complex, but criminal proceedings would be wrapped up “very soon”. “We want to reassure everyone that we’ll spare no one,” he added.

But two have already been spared thanks to a presidential decree in April that granted immunity from prosecution to any of those implicated who returned funds within two months. The two who responded were Mahmoud Karzai, the president’s brother, who has paid back $22 million and Haji Hasseen, the vice-president’s sibling, who returned

$18 million, according to Shams.

Only two of those charged with fraud are in detention: the bank’s founder Sherkhan Farnoon, and its former chief executive, Khalil Fruzi. Five have fled the country and the rest are on bail, including New Kabul Bank Chairman Masood Musa Ghazi. Abdullah Dowrani, chief of the Financial Disputes Resolution Commission, says around $140 million in capital has been recovered, on top of more than $200 million in property assets and $218 million in debt to be returned by borrowers.

Aside from the $560 million in unpaid interest, Dowrani said much of the rest should not be difficult to recover. Contrary to popular assumption that most of the money ended up in Dubai, he said, as little as 10 percent was smuggled overseas and channelled into luxury villas. The rest was invested in Afghanistan, from an oil storage facility, a television station and a gas firm to large-scale property developments, some of which the government had agreed to purchase. “The important thing is for us is to overcome this challenge and prove to the world that there is a system in place, though it is new, it is weak for the time being, it has tomorrow,” Dowrani said. — Reuters

12

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

international

Japan demolishes anti-airport protest relics TOKYO: Two huts that stood for more than four decades on land earmarked for an international airport, bearing testimony to bloody protests against Japan’s rapid modernisation, were pulled down yesterday.

The structures are a legacy of violent demonstrations that left police officers dead as homemade bombs were tossed by leftist students, activists and farmers who said they were the victims of a land grab at what became Narita Airport.

Dozens of huts were built in a bid to halt the construction of the huge facility in a rural spot around 50 kilometres (30 miles) outside Tokyo. Some of them remained and the airport was built around them, leaving one of the taxiways bent.

The demolition of two huts was given the green light by Tokyo High Court in April after it ruled in favour of a landowner who asked for the return of a family plot. “We will start the court enforcement of vacation of the land,” an official from Chiba District Court announced at the site on Wednesday as some 30 greyhaired protesters attempted to

stop work crews.

Around 100 police officers moved them along and there were no reports of injuries or

major trouble at the scene, according to the Chiba prefecture police.

“We will not let it happen,” shouted a protester with a megaphone,

while fellow activists held banners declaring: “We will not allow the destruction” of the buildings.

But the relatively small protest

CHIBA: This picture taken on February 6, 1978 shows riot police fighting against radical students at an activists’ occupied hut in the town of Shibayama near Narita international airport in Chiba prefecture, suburban Tokyo. Work crews began demolishing two huts built in 1971 on land earmarked for Narita Airport, relics of a radical protest against the building of Japan’s main international gateway. —AFP

bore witness to how little traction the issue now has among the general public, particularly with young people. Nearly 30 million people use Narita airport annually, and the facility faces constant pressure from airlines to expand.

At the height of Japanese radicalism in the 1970s, thousands of extreme leftists congregated at dozens of similar huts in and around the area in a bid to stymie the airport.

Japan was in the middle of a decades-long period of blistering economic growth as the ruined and largely rural country that emerged from the defeat of World War II rose to become the globe’s second largest economy. In 1966, the government decided to build the airport outside the capital after Haneda Airport in Tokyo Bay reached capacity.

As the authorities began expropriating farming lots, many smallholders physically fought back.

They were later joined by leftist students and activists staging violent protests.

There were regular clashes between riot police and the thousands of protesters at the site, who fought back with homemade

explosives, resulting in the deaths of at least three police officers and one activist.

Hundreds of farmers and protesters were arrested and the airport became a rallying point for anti-government movements throughout the country at a time many Japanese felt disenfranchised by the rapid pace of change.

But after the height of violence in the 1970s, the movement gradually lost momentum. Eight other huts still remain on land allocated for the airport or around it, according to Kyodo News. One of them has forced a taxiway to be bent to avoid it.

Despite the battle to build it, Narita is criticised for being too far from Tokyo. Express trains that serve the airport take almost an hour to get there and are expensive. Fliers in Tokyo generally prefer to use Haneda, which is easier to get to and has begun expanding the number of international flights.

But Chiba prefecture, which hosts Narita, has demanded the central government keep using the facility, citing the jobs, tax income and subsidies it generates. —AFP

Tibetan protests against Chinese rule in new phase Tibetan regions closed off to most outsiders BEIJING: Two dozen Tibetans have set themselves on fire in western China this month in a dramatic acceleration of the protests against authoritarian Chinese rule, activist groups say.

The surge in self-immolations, along with an increase in large demonstrations, mark a new phase in the Tibetan protests.

At least 86 people have set themselves on fire since the immolations began in 2009. In a change in recent months, most self-immolators

Tibet at the University of Hong Kong.

In the latest immolation, 24-year-old Kalsang Kyab doused himself with kerosene and set himself alight Tuesday in front of local government offices in Kyangtsa in Aba prefecture, a hotbed of unrest, according to Londonbased Free Tibet and other groups.

An Aba official said yesterday he was aware of the immolations but refused to give any details before hanging up. On Monday, about

SILIGURI: Tibetan Buddhist monks and members of the Tibetan Youth congress holds lit candles during a protest in Siliguri yesterday. Tibetans living in exile organised a rally to express their opposition to China’s policies in Tibet. Four more Tibetans have set themselves alight in protest at China’s rule, overseas media said, taking the total to more than 20 this month. —AFP now are lay people - some of them acting together - rather than Buddhist monks and nuns who can be more closely watched by the authorities because they live in tightly monitored monasteries. The protests have also sought to avoid direct attacks on authorities and government property, acts used in past to label them as riots or terrorism, providing an excuse for greater oppression. Despite the altered approach, observers see little shortterm possibility of Beijing changing its repressive policies.

“I think the problem will just escalate over time. The government shows no inclination to respond positively to recommendations for reform from the outside or Tibetans,” said Michael Davis, a law professor and expert on

1,000 students at a Tsolho Medical Institute staged a bold protest about 900 kilometers (550 miles) to the north in Hainan prefecture in Qinghai province. Riot police fired shots into the air and released tear gas and beat the students with rifle butts, sending 20 students to the hospital, some with serious injuries, Free Tibet reported. Four students were detained as of Tuesday, according to US-funded broadcaster Radio Free Asia.

Tibetan and surrounding ethnically Tibetan regions have been closed off to most outsiders, and firsthand information from the area is extremely difficult to obtain. Authorities have not commented on the protest. Calls to the medical school rang unanswered yesterday.

Driving the students to protest was a book-

let distributed by authorities that derided the Tibetan language as irrelevant, attacked the exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama, and condemned the immolation protests by Tibetans as “acts of stupidity.”

The booklet is the latest in a series of perceived slights and intrusive measures by Chinese authorities that have left Tibetans feeling that the culture, language and Buddhist religion that are at the core of their identity are under threat. The feelings have also driven the immolations. The combination of immolations and large-scale protests is posing a new challenge for security forces, which have been stationed in large numbers in Tibetan areas in recent years.

The surge in self-immolations represents an awareness of the impact they are having among the Tibetan community and internationally, said Robbie Barnett, a Tibet expert at New York’s Columbia University. That would likely inspire further protests, increasing the numbers of Tibetans willing to take their lives for the sake of their community, he said.

Most self-immolators have doused themselves with gasoline and set themselves alight after shouting slogans calling for Tibetan independence and blessings for the Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959 as Chinese troops - a decade after they occupied the region - were crushing an anti-government uprising.

Though protests have flared periodically over the decades, tensions boiled over in 2008, when deadly rioting broke out in the capital, Lhasa, and sparked an uprising across large swaths of ethnically Tibetan areas. Since then, security - already extremely tight - has been smothering.

The immolations have galvanized many Tibetans, who see them as selfless acts of sacrifice, making it hard for authorities to denounce the immolators. Similarly, protests by students are hard to demonize since they are typically non-violent and centered on issues such as language rights that are guaranteed under the Chinese Constitution.

While local authorities have cracked down hard following the self-immolations and other protests, authorities in Beijing have said relatively little other than to issue routine denunciations of the Dalai Lama and his followers. That indicates they are uncertain how to respond in a way that would bolster their authority and prevent the acts of defiance snow-balling into a fullblown protest movement, Barnett said. “This suggests that the Tibetans have found a way of at least getting under the skin of the authorities,” he said. —AP

Philippines refuses to stamp Chinese passports MANILA: The Philippines said yesterday it would refuse to stamp Chinese passports containing a map showing most of the China South Sea as belonging to China, as it stepped up protests over the controversial move.

The new passports have provoked angry reactions from around the region, with Vietnam, Taiwan and India all expressing their objections amid an ongoing row over Beijing’s territorial claims.

The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that immigration personnel would stamp “a separate visa application form” instead of the Chinese passport. “ Through this action, the Philippines reinforces its protest against China’s excessive claim over almost the entire South China Sea,” the department said.

Stamping the Chinese passport could be “misconstrued” as legitimising China’s claim over vast par ts of the South China Sea,

which are also claimed in part by the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan.

President Benigno Aquino’s spokesman also said Wednesday the Philippines welcomed a recent US State Department statement that it planned to raise concerns over the new Chinese passports with China.

Last week, Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario sent Beijing a formal protest letter, calling the passport maps “an excessive declaration of maritime space in violation of international law”.

Foreign governments became aware this month that China had begun issuing passports with maps showing a “nine-dash line” that runs almost to the Philippine and Malaysian coasts.

Vietnam has also refused to stamp the passports while India, angered that the map claims Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai China as Chinese territor y, is stamping its own map on visas

given to Chinese visitors.

Meanwhile, China said yesterday that people should not read too much into the placement of a new map in its passpor ts that depicts claims to disputed territory, after the United States said it would raise concerns with Beijing over the issue.

The Philippines and Vietnam have condemned the new microchip-equipped passports, saying the map they incorporate violates their national sovereignty by marking disputed waters as Chinese territory.

India, which also claims two Himalayan regions shown as Chinese territory on the map, is responding by issuing visas stamped with its own version of the borders. “The aim of China’s new electronic passpor ts is to strengthen its technological abilities and make it convenient for Chinese citizens to enter or leave the countr y,” Foreign Ministr y spokesman Hong Lei told a daily

news briefing. “ The issue of the maps in China’s new passports should not be read too much into. China is willing to remain in touch with relevant countries and promote the healthy development of the exchange of people between China and the outside world.”

US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the United States had concerns about China’s map causing “tension and anxiety” between countries in the South China Sea. The United States, which has urged China and its neighbours to agree on a code of conduct as a first step toward reducing tension over the South China Sea, will accept the new Chinese passports as they meet the standards of a legal travel document.

The Philippines said later on Wednesday it was taking steps to avoid any possibility of being seen to legitimise China’s claims in the South China Sea. —Agencies

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s President Tony Tan (3rd L) walks next to Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (3rd R) as Singapore’s First Lady Mary Tan (L) and Ani Yudhoyono speak during a visit at the presidential palace in Jakarta yesterday. Singapore President and his wife held a meeting with Yudhoyono in his five-day visit to strengthen the relationship between the two countries. —AFP

China to tighten laws on land grabs in rural stability push BEIJING: China’s cabinet vowed yesterday to tighten laws on the expropriation of farmland, warning that the problem risked fuelling rural unrest and undermining the country’s food security.

“Rural land has been expropriated too much and too fast as industrialisation and urbanisation accelerate,” state news agency Xinhua reported, summing up a meeting of the State Council. “It not only affects stability in the countryside but also threatens grain security.” More reforms need to be put in place and a better legal system set up to resolve the problem, including stricter regulation on farmland expropriation, Xinhua said. The meeting passed a draft law amendment altering rules on how to compensate farmers whose “collectively owned” land is expropriated, the news agency said, without providing details. “The government must make efforts to beef up support for farmers and place rural development in a more important position,” it added.

While the comments on land seizures do not break new policy ground, they do

underscore government jitters about rural discontent as President Hu Jintao prepares to hand over the running of the country to his successor, Vice President Xi Jinping, named Communist Party head this month.

Farmers in China do not directly own most of their fields. Instead, most rural land is owned collectively by a village, and farmers get leases that last for decades.

In theory, the villagers can collectively decide whether to apply to sell off or develop land. In practice, however, state officials usually decide. And hoping to win investment, revenues and pay-offs, they often override the wishes of farmers.

The number of “mass incidents” of unrest recorded by the e government grew from 8,700 in 1993 to about 90,000 in 2010, according to several government-backed studies. Some estimates are higher, and the government has not released official data for recent years. Conflict over land requisitions accounted for more than 65 percent of rural “mass incidents”, the China Economic Times reported this year, citing survey data. —Reuters

China considers easing family planning rules BEIJING: China is considering changes to its one-child policy, a former family planning official said, with government advisory bodies drafting proposals in the face of a rapidly ageing society in the world’s most populous nation.

Proposed changes would allow for urban couples to have a second child, even if one of the parents is themselves not an only child, the China Daily cited Zhang Weiqing, the former head of the National Population and Family Planning Commission, as saying yesterday.

Under current rules, urban couples are permitted a second child if both parents do not have siblings. Looser restrictions on rural couples means many have more than one child.

Population scholars have cited mounting demographic challenges in their calls for reform of the strict policy, introduced in 1979 to limit births in China, which now has 1.34 billion people. Zhang said the commission and other population research institutes have submitted policy recommendations to the government.

Zhang, who serves on China’s congressional advisory body, said any changes if adopted would be gradual. “China’s population policy has always taken into account demographic changes but any

fine-tuning to the policy should be gradual and consider the situation in different areas,” China Daily cited Zhang as saying.

The relaxed policy might be implemented first in “economically productive regions” and places that have followed closely existing regulations, the paper said.

President Hu Jintao dropped a standard reference to maintaining low birth rates in his work report to the ruling Communist Party’s five-yearly congress in early November, a break which some experts see as evidence of an imminent change to the one-child policy.

Demographers warn that the policy has led to a rapidly greying population that could hamper China’s economic competitiveness. Critics say it also has fuelled forced abortions and increased social tension stemming from an imbalance in the number of boys and girls.

Though forced abortions are illegal in China, officials have long been known to compel women to have the procedures to meet birth-rate targets. This year, debate over the country’s strict family planning rules erupted after a woman in the northwestern province of Shaanxi was forced by officials to have an abortion after seven months of pregnancy. —Reuters

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

NEWS Saudi king appearance assuages fears Continued from Page 1 commentator said after footage of the king appeared on television. “He looked okay for his age,” he added.

Saudi media did not say when the king was expected to leave hospital. Because power in the world’s top oilexporting country is concentrated in the hands of the king and top princes, their health is closely watched.

Rumors that the king’s recovery was not going well circulated over social media networks sending the index to a 10-month low on Tuesday. The market rose 1.1 percent yesterday. Top Saudi royals have repeatedly visited the king in hospital since the royal court announced the surgery in his upper back on Nov. 18 a success, according to state media.

Saudi analysts have said it was understandable that recovery would take time, given the king’s advanced age. Saudi state media have been reporting visits by members of the royal family and senior officials to the

hospital and Crown Prince Salman has twice come out to reassure Saudis about the king’s health. But the lack of pictures of the monarch has only fuelled social media speculation about the king’s health. King Abdullah underwent a similar operation in October last year and had back surgery twice in the United States in 2010 for a herniated disc, after which he spent three months outside Saudi Arabia recuperating.

Two days after his back operation last year, Abdullah appeared on state television and was released from hospital within five days. The crown has passed down a line of sons of the kingdom’s founder King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, who died in 1953. King Abdullah - who took power in 2005 - named his brother Prince Salman, 13 years his junior, heir apparent in June after the death of Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz. Salman, who deputizes for the king, was shown on television last week meeting visiting US officials. He had chaired two weekly cabinet meetings since the surgery.— Reuters

Kuwait diplomatic ruler under political...

Continued from Page 1 This was because parliament, not just the ruling family, had a direct role in helping bring Sheikh Sabah to power, Kamel said. Sheikh Sabah was nominated as ruler in the 250-year-old dynasty after Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah died and his successor Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah was appointed only to be unanimously voted out of office by parliament due to illness. The gravelly-voiced Sheikh Sabah had a pacemaker installed in 1999 but travels a lot, appears in good health and is said to enjoy fishing. At a recent summit he was filmed holding the arms of senior counterparts as they walked through a palace.

He has been dubbed the “dean of Arab diplomacy” for his work as foreign minister to restore relations with Arab states which backed Baghdad during the 1990-1991 Gulf War, when Kuwait was occupied by Iraqi forces. Sheikh Sabah has maintained strong ties with the United States, which used Kuwait as the main launchpad for the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq which toppled Saddam Hussein. Since then he has also taken steps to rebuild ties with neighboring Iraq, visiting it in early 2012.

At home, tensions between his government and elected opposition parliamentarians and groups have deepened, however, even if the wealthy country has managed to avoid the kind of mass popular uprising seen elsewhere in the Arab region. In a speech televised on Nov 6 after unlicensed protests dispersed with tear gas rocked the country, Sheikh Sabah made clear he was willing to take a firm line to stop rallies spreading into unrest. “ Today we are required to choose between the rule of law and the constitution and stick to it, to the road of safety, or to pursue chaos and infringe on the powers of the responsible constitutional authorities,” he said. Diplomats describe a ruler who sticks resolutely to his decisions in the face

of pressure, such as his emergency decree in October to change the voting system.

But at the same time he will adopt a softer approach by meeting with opposition figures to try to ease tensions. “He is a diplomat to his core,” a Kuwaitbased diplomat said. “He prefers to avoid confrontation if possible.” One of Sheikh Sabah’s biggest challenges came in 2011 during mass protests against his prime minister and nephew, Sheik h Nasser AlMohammad Al-Sabah. Sheikh Sabah was keen to keep Sheik h Nasser in power but is believed to have changed his mind when he saw the size of the protesting crowds which had swelled to tens of thousands, diplomats said.

“He makes carefully thought-out decisions and he shows firmness, even with members of his own family,” another Kuwait-based diplomat said. “He also knows how to deal with the opposition, biding his time and waiting for their momentum to lose steam.” He has taken an active role in policymaking, rather than delegating and distancing himself from daily politics like some of his predecessors. Analysts say his engagement may have arisen from his previous experience in policymaking roles. “He doesn’t relax, he is very active.

He is receiving ministers and undersecretaries every day,” said a Kuwaiti political commentator who declined to be named.

Sheikh Sabah has used his executive powers to try to unblock a policymaking deadlock in parliament, dissolving the chamber five times since becoming Amir.

He has also shown some liberal tendencies, such as pushing for legislation that gave Kuwaiti women full political rights in 2005, including the right to vote and run for office. In 2012 he has rejected some proposals originating with mainly Islamist lawmakers, including introducing the death penalty for blasphemy and a plan to amend the constitution to make all legislation comply with Islamic law. — Reuters

Unity top challenge for oppn movement Continued from Page 1 Protests that started in October were aimed at ruler Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah’s decision to reduce the number of votes per citizen from four to one.

Marches that took place outside a designated protest area were forcibly broken up by police using tear gas and colored smoke. Sheikh Sabah says his emergency decree, issued six weeks before the election, was meant to fix flaws in the electoral system for the sake of “security and stability” in the oil producer and US ally.

Critics say the new rules are an attempt to skew the election in favor of pro-government candidates; they say the four-vote system enabled candidates to form political allegiances during campaigns by recommending that supporters cast their additional ballots for their allies. In the absence of parties, such alliances, which are often based on tribal ties, become crucial. Apart from protesting against the new voting rules, activists have rallied against wider issues such as corruption, the accountability of government ministers and elected officials, a lack of infrastructure development, and broader reform demands. But there is far less unity on these topics.

One thing most youth protesters and opposition politicians agree on is that they do not seek an Arab Spring-style revolution, but reform. “There are forces in the opposition which are seeking deeper political changes towards a (full) parliamentary system,” said writer and established activist Ahmed Al-Deyain.

“Political reform is a main element for many of the opposition forces, but I cannot say that there is a consensus on this subject,” said Deyain, general coordinator of the National Front for the Protection of the Constitution, a pro-democracy group.

A youth protest group organized online has called for another march on the eve of the election under the slogan “The Nation’s Dignity”. But some opposition politicians are against more marches, and say that the election boycott is sufficient.

One of the world’s richest countries per capita, Kuwait is the Gulf Arab region’s most democratic state.

Parliament confirms governments, passes laws presented by the cabinet and oversees the performance of various ministries. Lawmakers also have the right to summon ministers for questioning over policies. But the ultimate political and economic power is in the ruling family’s hands. The emir has the final say in state affairs and can veto laws and dissolve the Assembly, and members of his family hold the top cabinet portfolios.

Over the past six years, tensions between parliament and government have intensified, leading to repeated dissolutions of the legislature and delays to economic reform and investment. Those tensions came to a boil after elections in February when opposition MPs took roughly two-thirds of the 50 seats and formed a bloc.

The self-declared opposition politicians include moderate Islamists, some affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, and a handful of Salafi MPs, who adhere to Saudi Arabia’s austere version of Islam.

The bloc also included around five populist politicians, some of whom draw support from Kuwait’s powerful and generally more socially conservative tribes and who highlight issues such as wages and housing. One of these men is Musallam Al-Barrak, a former MP arrested in October after making comments deemed critical of

the emir at a protest rally. As a bloc, the politicians lobbied against corruption and focused on security, such as the length of police detentions or a plan to introduce the death penalty for blasphemy.

With the boycott, the politicians have gone further and joined with youth groups who include pro-democracy activists, moderate Islamists and supporters of the opposition MPs. The youth, who have won the support from some of Kuwait’s influential academics and political commentators, are leading calls for reforms to the political system. Many want an elected prime minister, with top cabinet posts held by people outside of the ruling family. Like the MPs, they have rallied against corruption and criticized a lack of economic development.

Others have turned even on some opposition MPs, accusing them of using the parliament to their own benefit rather than pushing for political change. With their leading role in the protest marches and their mobilization of support through social media such as Twitter, the youth movement is becoming the more important opposition force, said Kuwait University professor of political science Shafeeq Ghabra.

“It has increasingly gained control of the Kuwaiti political scene and has clearly put pressure on parliament and the traditional opposition, which is more affected by the movement than affecting it,” he wrote in a piece carried by several Arabic language newspapers this month. At a protest rally on Nov 12, young protesters expressed frustration that opposition politicians were not being more bold. “We are here with more demands,” said electrical engineer Mazen Al-Otabi, 26, as he walked away in disgust from a speech by an opposition politician. The speaker was backing the boycott but pledging allegiance to the ruling authorities, which Otabi said was contradictory. “How can we question the system like this?” he asked.

Some Gulf observers have suggested the Muslim Brotherhood has played a role in the conflict, pointing to its growing regional influence. Kuwait University’s Ghabra rejected this. “The Muslim Brotherhood is not the movement’s engine ... it is merely one of the many opposition forces,” he wrote. A group affiliated to the Brotherhood has been part of Kuwaiti political life for years. The Arab Spring has given the existing opposition movement additional steam, however, Kuwait-based diplomats say, putting pressure on the ruling family to reform.

With the opposition MPs opting out on Dec 1, the incoming parliament will include many political neophytes, and it remains to be seen whether it will follow similar policies as its predecessor and challenge the government, or go along with the cabinet and risk being seen as a rubber stamp. If the new MPs take up some of the opposition themes, this may have a calming effect, diplomats said. But an inexperienced Assembly elected on a low turnout that shows no backbone may aggravate tensions on the street, they said.

The future of the opposition movement depends on whether there is a theme that can unite it after the election. But the underlying dilemma remains: as long as the ban on political parties exists and the opposition does not have a policymaking role, it lacks the ability to come up with coherent and unified platforms, Kuwait University’s Najjar said. “Every point, if you want to look deeper, you will see the same thing: differences over differences over differences,” he said — Reuters

14

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

ANALYSIS

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Issues

Egypt untidy compromise gyptian President Mohamed Morsi overreached last week when he asserted neardictatorial power under a “temporary” decree that placed his actions beyond judicial review. The move galvanized his political opponents, dismayed some of his supporters and jolted the Egyptian stock market _ and on Monday, Morsi wisely retreated somewhat. But Egypt’s Supreme Judicial Council also gave some ground by tacitly agreeing that the judiciary wouldn’t thwart the drafting of a new constitution, the scenario Morsi had apparently been seeking to avert with his decree. The result is an untidy compromise that preserves a measure of independence for the judiciary while giving force to the will of the electorate that installed the Islamist Morsi in power.

The crisis began Thursday when M orsi abruptly issued the order removing from judicial review “constitutional declarations, laws and decrees made by the president since he took office.” Lawsuits challenging Morsi’s actions, according to the decree, “are annulled” and the president was now free to “take the necessary actions and measures to protect the countr y and the goals of the revolution.”

Although Morsi said the decree would remain in effect only until the adoption of a new constitution and the election of a new lower house of parliament, its imperious language was reminiscent of the claims not only of Hosni Mubarak, the autocratic Egyptian president overthrown last year, but of tyrants the world over.

The opposition figure and former head of the I nternational Atomic Energy Agenc y Mohamed ElBaradei, accused Morsi of becoming a “new pharaoh,” protests erupted across the country, judges threatened to go on strike, and even Morsi’s own justice minister raised questioned about the decree. The US State Depar tment, which had profusely praised Morsi for his role in achieving a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas just a couple of days earlier, reminded him publicly that “one of the aspirations of the revolution was to ensure that power would not be overly concentrated in the hands of any one person or institution.” (Private comments were presumably more vociferous.)

On Capitol Hill, Morsi’s decree inspired new talk of withholding US aid from Cairo. The protests had an effec t. On Sunday, the Supreme Judicial Council conceded that some “acts of sovereignty” might not be subject to judicial review. Apparently that exception referred to directives dealing with the drafting of a new constitution. On Monday the New York Times reported that Morsi and the judges had agreed that the assembly now drafting a constitution wouldn’t be dissolved by the courts before it completes its work.

The problem, however, is that some Christian and secularist members of the assembly have refused to participate in the drafting of the constitution because of the dominance of the body ’s Islamists. In his decree, Morsi extended the commission’s deadline for two months. During that time, he and his allies need to induce disaffected members of the body to rejoin the deliberations to ensure that the constitution that results protects the rights of women, Christians and secularists. If that isn’t the result, Morsi might face intervention from a powerful institution that has been quiescent in the most recent controversies - the Egyptian military. — MCT

E

All articles appearing on these pages are the personal opinion of the writers. Kuwait Times takes no responsibility for views expressed therein. Kuwait Times invites readers to voice their opinions. Please send submissions via email to: opinion@kuwaittimes.net or via snail mail to PO Box 1301 Safat, Kuwait.

The editor reserves the right to edit any submission as necessary.

The biggest struggle yet for Citi’s repairman

By David Henry, Rick Rothacker and Dan Wilchins hen Citigroup Inc’s board of directors was looking for a chief executive in 2007, it called Michael O’Neill, who had turned around Bank of Hawaii Corp a few years before. O’Neill spoke to a Citigroup board member on the telephone, but the board was reluctant to consider O’Neill seriously because he had never run a bank of Citigroup’s size or complexity, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Five years later, O’Neill, 66, is effectively running Citigroup, which is more than 130 times bigger than Bank of Hawaii was last decade, as measured by assets. He joined the Cit igroup boa rd in 2009, became chairman this year and has played an increasingly powerful role, as most vividly shown by his ousting of Vikram Pandit as chief executive in October, after months of tension. O’Neill, who hand-picked new CEO Michael Corbat, has an uphill task ahead of him. Citigroup is groaning under $171 billion of assets it wants to shed, has high expenses, and its profitability lags behind that of such competitors as JPMorgan Chase & Co. And O’Neill faces the same question that kept him from being a contender for the Citigroup CEO spot: while he can fix a smaller bank, can he revamp a behemoth as complicated as Citigroup? “It is an awfully complex situation,” said current Bank of Hawaii CEO Peter Ho, who worked for O’Neill. “He relishes simplicity.” O’Neill, who declined to comment for this story through a spokesman, has provided some clues about his plan to turn the bank around. On a conference call with investors the day that Pandit stepped down, he said that he will follow his typical playbook.

A dozen people who have worked with O’Neill over the years say that plan usually involves the ruthless pruning of underperforming operations and deciding which ones

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are worth additional investment. As he evaluates a bank, he delves deeply into details to look for value or risk that others may have missed. His decisions may differ from those of competitors, but he has a strong track record of being right, these people said. For example, when he was at BankAmerica in 1998, he exited a type of mortgage lending that brought heartburn to competitors a few years later.

Given Corbat spent three years after the financial crisis helping to dispose of Citigroup’s bad assets, he may be a perfect chief executive - and ally - for O’Neill. Still, it remains far from certain that O’Neill can use the methods he has previously used to turn Citi around. It not only dwarfs Bank of Hawaii but is also seven times as large as BankAmerica was in 1997, when O’Neill was that bank’s chief financial officer. Citigroup is also vastly more complicated and has been exiting businesses for years.

At this stage, O’Neill could still decide to shed a big business, like investment banking.

But Citigroup executives who have considered such steps in the past decided that the damage to other businesses, like corporate lending, would be too great. “Take the process at Bank of Hawaii, and multiply it by 10,000, and you’ve got what Citigroup will be like,” said one former senior Citi executive. It may take years for O’Neill’s effort to bear fruit, barring a major global economic turnaround, he added.

ALOHA SHIRTS AND BAR GRAPHS In 2000, when O’Neill took the CEO’s job at Bank of Hawaii, he had to fix a regional bank that was struggling after over-expanding around the Pacific Rim. Employees, already bruised by deep cost-cutting, were wary of an outsider from the US mainland, said Lori McCarney, the bank’s former chief marketing officer. But O’Neill listened to employees, laid out a strategy and put his own money behind it, investing $10 million in the bank’s stock. The former US Marine

even starred in a series of commercials, dressed in a flowered aloha shirt. At investor meetings in New York, O’Neill would show a chart with about 30 bars - about threefourths represented businesses that were profitable, while the remainder were losing money or breaking even.

“It was a pretty clear graphic picture of what to expect,” said Al Landon, a risk manager hired shortly before O’Neill’s arrival and who later became his successor. Within six months of being named CEO, O’Neill announced that the company would shed its holdings in California, Asia and most of the South Pacific. O’Neill dug into various businesses to understand what was happening.

He would suddenly show up in employees’ offices or summon them for short discussions, recalls Ho, who was then a senior vice president fairly low down in the chain of command.

“He clearly understood the issues in my sphere, wanted to get my opinion on them, and wanted to make sure that I understood that he understood what was going on several layers down,” said Ho, who became CEO of the bank in 2010. It was in such no-nonsense meetings that O’Neill convinced Bank of Hawaii employees that the company would rationally sort out which of its businesses.

When O’Neill departed in 2004, he left the bank “with a very strong credit culture and they got through the credit crisis better than most banks,” said Fred Cannon, who was director of investor relations at BankAmerica and is now director of US research and chief equity strategist at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods.

Former colleagues say O’Neill also has a knack for seeing risks that other executives may miss. In 1997, when he was chief financial officer at BankAmerica, he pushed the lender to auction off its manufactured housing finance business, which was then booking strong profits as the second-biggest lender in a booming market. “It was a smart analysis of the numbers using good judgment,” Cannon

said. “Mike sold that business for a very good price.” That deal happened in 1998, and two years later, most players in the manufactured housing finance industry suffered big losses.

BankAmerica, led by then CEO David Coulter, agreed to merge in 1998 with Charlotte, North Carolina-based NationsBank to form today’s Bank of America Corp.

A CRAZY QUILT At Citigroup, O’Neill will have to take these skills to an entirely new level. Sandy Weill built the bank higgledy-piggledy over the course of decades, starting with a small consumer lender in the 1980s and ending with the largest bank in the United States. But the bank was slow to integrate its many businesses into a single company, resulting in a crazy quilt of computer systems, overlapping operations and confusing organizational charts, making it hard to figure out whether any business was earning a meaningful return. The bank has made progress but is still working on these issues, which would complicate a Bank of Hawaii-type analysis on profitability of various units. Moreover, unlike Bank of Hawaii and BankAmerica, shedding assets will be much harder at Citigroup.

The bank has been disposing of extraneous and risky assets housed in its Citi Holdings unit for n early four years. It had cut down assets to $171 billion by the end of September from $649 billion in mid-2009, but executives expect the pace of disposals to slow as few obvious buyers remain. What’s left is likely to be a source of more losses in the future. Despite these challenges, veteran bank analyst Mike Mayo said he can think of no better person than O’Neill to be chairman of Citigroup. “He almost wrote the book on how to decide which businesses should be sold or kept,” said Mayo, whose 2012 book “Exile on Wall Street” details his numerous arguments with senior bank executives, including for mer Citigroup leaders Chuck Prince, Robert Rubin and Pand it. —Reuters

Sanctions side effect hits Iran’s

By Jonathan Saul and Marcus George ran’s food distribution system is in crisis even though Western sanctions do not directly target the market, badly hurting the poor and turning some staples into luxuries.

Private importers are shrinking away from deals made risky by turmoil in the rial currency, and many foreign banks are reluctant to finance even trade exempt from the sanctions for fear of drawing fire simply for doing business with Iran. The result is that the Iranian state is under growing pressure to import and allocate more goods as it tries to avoid any social unrest due to shortages and soaring prices.

An increasingly shaky state apparatus will struggle to fill the gap often left by private companies, analysts say. “If you are talking about the number of deals needed for a country of 75 million ... you do not have an organized overall strategy for finance, purchase and distribution. I do not think they can cope with the challenge,” said Scott Lucas, a specialist in Iranian affairs at Birmingham University. “Even if the sanctions were lifted, which is a huge if, the problems in the system are now so endemic I think they face real serious structural problems.”

Sanctions led by the United States and European Union, designed to halt Iran’s nuclear program, are strangling the economy and particularly energy exports, but so far Iranians do not face a widespread humanitarian crisis. Nevertheless, many foreign foods are hard to find and high prices mean Iranians cannot always afford even basic items.

Hossein, a Tehran shopkeeper, described the

I

problems faced particularly by the poor. “A few days ago an elderly woman came to my shop to buy 12 eggs, but when I told her how much she had to pay, she decided to just take five. I really felt bad because she is old and lives by herself,” he said by telephone.

The problems have become politically charged. Earlier this year Iran’s police chief urged television stations not to show people eating chicken to avoid fueling social tensions, as a jump in poultry prices has made it a rarity in many homes. Even the relatively well-off are feeling the effects. “Not only have we had to cut back on less important things, we are also forced to purchase local products. I haven’t had real, good chocolate for a long time,” 25year-old management student Sanaz said by phone from Tehran.

Iran is estimated to consume around 15.5 million tons of wheat a year and about 2.6 million tons of sugar. The sanctions on the nuclear program - which Western governments fear is aimed at making weapons, despite Iranian denials - helped to push the rial into a nosedive earlier this year. The currency has since stabilized, but importers are finding it increasingly difficult to buy dollars for purchases, and are wary of getting caught out by another currency swing. Instead, many commercial buyers are preferring to lock in their wealth in real estate or safe haven assets such as gold.

BANKING FREEZE International trade sources say Iran is also having to grapple with a banking freeze, which has led to private traders cutting imports of staples such as grain and sugar. Some banks fear their reputation will suffer with Western

clients if they finance any Iranian trade, even when it is legal, and therefore prefer not to take the risk.

A senior executive with an international commodities firm said it had stopped food trade with Iran. “We are running scared. Even though the food trade is not contravening sanctions, our banks could turn around and say they are not happy, so the relationship risk is a big factor now,” the executive said. In one blow, an official with the Geneva-based private banking branch of India’s Hinduja Group said this month that tougher U.S. measures introduced in July by the Office of Foreign Asset Controls (OFAC) had forced it to stop providing trade finance for food and pharmaceuticals to Iran. “The private sector is the main casualty of the sanctions. Private buyers are still able to import but in much smaller volumes than in the past and at much higher prices,” a European based grain trader said.

A Dubai-based official with Afra Holding, a unit of a large Iran-based conglomerate, said the group had scaled back cargoes of sugar and grain to one shipment a month from five vessels previously, citing payment difficulties caused by sanctions. Government buyers, including state food body GTC, are playing a bigger role to maintain strategic stocks. A GTC official told Reuters by phone that it had “no limits” on importing sugar and grains, and was buying directly from companies at suitable prices. GTC was importing around 60,000 tons a month, mostly of wheat, the official said.

MALNUTRITION FEARS One European diplomat acknowledged the knock-on effect. “There is no ban at all in

humanitarian terms but admittedly trade of food and medication is being affected. We are concerned about it and we are looking at it quite closely because the last thing we want to see is a serious malnutrition issue, for example,” the diplomat said. “It’s more the problem coming from the US - the choice between doing business in Iran or doing business in America. Such a calculation gets lawyers overly jumpy. It’s utter risk aversion.”

Iranian authorities say sanctions have had little effect on the state, but point to an increasing impact on the population. While officials have accused European countries of blindly following the United States in imposing trade sanctions, the government is facing growing scrutiny at home. Opponents of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accuse him of economic mismanagement. Last week parliament called off plans to grill him after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said they must not act in the interests of Iran’s enemies.

Birmingham University’s Lucas cited disorder in the state system. “A recurrent problem in the Iranian economy, especially during the Ahmadinejad years, is the increasing number of state actors who are involved in economic affairs and that does include the Revolutionary Guards,” he said. The Revolutionary Guards, which report directly to Khamenei, hold influential positions in the economy and politics, and Washington has targeted entities linked to it for sanctions. “You have official state actors and unofficial state actors who have got their hands involved. It leads to disorganization and you do not necessarily know who you are dealing with,” Lucas said. —Reuters

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

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Senna proud of record

Flower replaced by Giles

Simmons gets reduced ban

LONDON: Bruno Senna said he was proud of being the most consistent points scorer for Williams this season when reacting to the team’s announcement that he was losing his seat for 2013. The Brazilian, who finished 16th in the drivers’ championship with 31 points in his first full season of racing, was ditched in favour of Williams test driver Valtteri Bottas who will join Venezuela’s Pastor Maldonado next season. “Since the beginning of my program with Williams I accepted that I had to share the car with Valtteri Bottas in 15 Fridays as a part of his preparation for a likely debut in 2013”,” Senna said in a statement on Wednesday.

“It has been extremely satisfying to be the team’s most regular point scorer and for me to demonstrate my pace in all 20 races, added Senna who scored points in 10 of them.

“I have learned a lot and improved considerably through the season. I have had a relatively short career so far and feel as though I have come a long way in just a few years.” Maldonado brings substantial sponsorship with him from his country’s state oil company PDVSA and is also a race winner after his pole-to-flag victory in Spain this year, former champions Williams’ first triumph since 2004. —Reuters

LONDON: Andy Flower is handing over responsibility for England’s one-day and Twenty20 sides, with Ashley Giles named as head coach by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) yesterday.

Flower will continue as England Team Director and will remain in charge of the test team but will take a back seat in limited-overs cricket after five years at the helm. Giles, an England selector since 2008, will take charge of the side for the first time on the tour of India and New Zealand in January and February. “England cricket has enjoyed considerable success over the past five years,” ECB managing director Hugh Morris said in a statement.

“In order to build on that success we know that we need to look for ways to evolve and it has become clear that the Team Director role needs to change if we are to ensure we are utilising the role as effectively as possible.

“Bringing in a Head Coach for the ODI and T20 formats allows the Team Director more time to plan for forthcoming series and tournaments and also have a more realistic and sustainable work life balance.” —Reuters

SYDNEY: The eight-week ban on Australia’s Rob Simmons for a tip tackle on French flanker Yannick Nyanga was reduced to five weeks yesterday but the lock will still miss Saturday’s test against Wales in Cardiff.

Simmons, on as a replacement at the Stade de France, was cited for a tip tackle on Nyanga in the second half of the match won 33-6 by France earlier this month. The reduced punishment rules Simmons out of the Wallabies’ last match on their tour of Europe against Wales after he missed the matches against Italy and England. The Six Nations Committee said in a statement that the player will be free to play from Feb. 4. “The appeal committee ... found that the player’s offending had merited a mid range entry point, rather than the top end entry point that the Judicial Officer had originally found,” they said. “After applying aggravating and mitigating factors, the appeal committee imposed a reduced sanction of 5 weeks.” The Wallabies will travel to Cardiff looking to make it three straight test wins after victories over Italy and England following the defeat by France. — Reuters

Same questions, but for a different player THOUSAND OAKS: A little more than three months ago, Tiger Woods was on his way back to the top of golf with only time in his way. He already had won three times on the US PGA Tour, moving past Jack Nicklaus in career victories. He still had not won a major, though there were indications he was closing in. He had a share of the 36-hole lead at the US Open before throwing away his chances with a sloppy weekend. He was in the second-tolast group going into the final round of the British Open and tied for third. And when he showed up at the US PGA Championship at Kiawah Island on Saturday morning, he again was tied for the lead halfway through the final major.

Rory McIlroy? He had reached No. 1 on three occasions, never longer than three weeks at a time. He had only one win, and that was in March at the Honda Classic.

That now seems so long ago. The rest of the weekend at Kiawah Island belonged to McIlroy.

So did the rest of the year. And maybe the future. McIlroy finished off a long, wild and exhilarating season last week when he birdied the last five holes to win the European Tour’s final event in Dubai and head home with all the spoils.

Rory McIlroy celebrates in this file photo

He won five times this year, the most of anyone around the world. He captured the money titles on the European Tour and U.S. tour. He won the Vardon Trophy for the lowest scoring average on the US tour. He won the PGA of America player of the year and is certain to win every other honor that measures the best in golf. The questions going into 2013 should sound familiar.

It’s not whether he will in a major, but how many? I’s not about who’s No. 1, but how much more can he separate himself from everyone else? That’s what used to be asked about Woods. Now those questions are directed toward McIlroy.

“I think he’ll be around for a long time,” Luke Donald said. Suddenly, a lot more than just time is standing in the way of Woods getting back to the top. There’s this 23-year-old from Northern Ireland who looks as if he’s just getting warmed up.

Is he the next Tiger? Not yet. Maybe not ever. McIlroy had a banner year by winning five times around the world, including a major. That used to be a normal season for Woods. McIlroy missed five cuts this year. It took Woods 13 years on the US PGA Tour before he missed his fifth cut.

McIlroy has all the tools of greatness, and a refreshing outlook. One of the understated qualities about Woods is that for the richest guy in golf, he worked as if he didn’t have two coins to rub together.

McIlroy is coming off an amazing season

and only wants to get better.

“I had a few goals starting off this year,” he said in Dubai. “Obviously, I wanted to win a major. I think I wanted to win four times around the world - five. The Race to Dubai - I won. I guess getting to world No. 1, which I achieved earlier in the year. But I guess every goal that I set for myself at the start of 2012, I’ve achieved this year.

So it doesn’t really get much better than that.” What’s next?

“I guess the same,” McIlroy said. “To be focused on the majors, try to win more of those. I’ve won one in ‘11, one in ‘12. It would be nice to keep that run going next year.”

If he were to win a major next year, McIlroy would join Woods, Phil Mickelson, Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer as the only players since 1960 to win a major championship in three successive years.

“I feel like I can improve in different areas of the game still,” McIlroy said. “I guess that’s the challenge and the fun of practice is trying to get better all the time.”Sound familiar?

Perhaps his greatest accomplishment was learning to win without his best stuff, another trait that defines Woods’ greatness. McIlroy at least was savvy enough not to say that he won with his C game.

Woods stopped grading himself after catching grief for saying that in Dallas in 1997.

It’s tempting to compare McIlroy with Woods because of their talent, and because Woods is the standard for this generation, and perhaps many more to come. That would make 2013 a chance for McIlroy to pull away from his peers, as Woods once did.

The 1999 season was similar to this year when it came to a potential rivalry.

Going into the final major of that season, Woods was No. 2 in the world behind David Duval. Woods had won three times that year, second in tour victories to Duval. Woods wound up winning the U.S. PGA Championship at Medinah, and then he closed out the season by winning four straight tournaments - Firestone, Disney, the Tour Championship and a World Golf Championship in Spain. Duval was a forgotten figure by the end of the season.

Woods found another gear - closer to warp speed - in 2000 by winning 10 times around the world, including three straight majors. There hasn’t been another season like that since then, and there might not be. But imagine how McIlroy will be looked upon if he were to win multiple majors next year. If he wins both money titles again. If he builds such a gap at No. 1 in the world ranking that players can only hope he decides to change his swing. Perhaps the more intriguing aspect is how Woods responds.

Woods can measure progress this year not only by three wins, but by playing his biggest schedule since 2009. The World Challenge, which he has won five times as the tournament host, is his 24th week of competition (including the Ryder Cup and the exhibition in Turkey).

And as much as Woods likes McIlroy as a person - who doesn’t? - and talks about the importance of at least being in the conversation when it comes to the best in golf, he has never faced a challenge like this. Vijay Singh had a better season than McIlroy in 2004 when the Fijian won nine times, but he was in his early 40s then.

“I think anything other guys do motivates Tiger,” Steve Stricker said. “He’s so competitive, and he’s been in that position over the years where he’s been No. 1 in the world, and him not being there has surely got to be motivation for him.” — AP

LOS ANGELES: Indiana Pacers’ George Hill (top) grabs a loose ball against Los Angeles Lakers’ Chris Duhon in the second half of an NBA basketball game. — AP

76ers triumph over Mavs PHILADELPHIA: Evan Turner scored 22 points and Thaddeus Young had 20 to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 100-98 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.

Jrue Holiday had 18 points and seven assists for the Sixers, who snapped a six-game losing streak to Dallas. Philadelphia shot 6 of 14 on 3-pointers and won its second straight game.

Chris Kaman scored 20 points, and Elton Brand and Shawn Marion had 17 apiece for the Mavericks.

Vince Carter added 15 and was clutch in the fourth quarter in trying to bring Dallas back from a 10point hole. The 76ers finally created some space in a back-and-forth game when they snapped a tie with a 10-0 run midway through the fourth.

Carter hit his third 3-pointer and then a lefthanded layup to bring the Mavericks to 100-98 with 37 seconds left. O.J. Mayo missed two free throws with 2.7 seconds to go and Jae Crowder’s last-gasp jumper was off the mark, leaving Dallas with a 2-5 record on the road.

Pacers 79, Lakers 77 In Los Angeles, George Hill’s high-arching shot over Dwight Howard went in with 0.1 seconds left, and Indiana withstood Kobe Bryant’s 40-point performance for Los Angeles.

Hill scored 19 points and hit that enormous clutch shot for the Pacers, who won their third straight road game over the Lakers after losing 11 consecutive regular-season games since Staples Center opened in 1999.

The Pacers’ sturdy defense stifled the Lakers’ uptempo offense for most of the night, turning the game into an ugly grind before the thrilling finish.

Bryant hit a tying 3-pointer with 24.5 seconds left and produced the 114th 40-point game of his career despite playing with an apparent case of the flu for the Lakers, who dropped to 2-3 under new coach Mike D’Antoni.

David West scored 16 points in the opener of Indiana’s four-game road trip. The Lakers flirted with the lowest-scoring game and worst shooting percentage in franchise history before scoring eight straight points in the waning minutes. Los Angeles finished 23 for 43 at the foul line.

Suns 91, Cavaliers 78 In Cleveland, Goran Dragic scored 19 points, Michael Beasley added 15 and Phoenix took control late in the third quarter to beat Cleveland. The Suns scored the final 14 points of the third to take a 71-59 lead they did not relinquish, sending Cleveland to its

10th loss in 11 games. Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao had 20 points and 18 rebounds for his sixth straight double-double. He came in leading the NBA in rebounding with a 14.7 average.

Cleveland was playing its fourth game in five nights. The Cavaliers shot 36 percent from the field against a Suns team that was giving up an NBAworst 103.3 points per game.

Cleveland played its fifth straight game without star point guard Kyrie Irving, out until midDecember with a broken left index finger. Backup shooting guard Daniel Gibson missed the game with a sore right elbow.

Rockets 117, Raptors 101 In Houston, James Harden scored 24 points and matched a career high with 12 assists to lead Houston over Toronto. Patrick Patterson added 22 points for the Rockets, who have won four in a row.

Omer Asik had 13 points and 18 rebounds.

Andrea Bargnani scored 21 points and Terrence Ross added a career-high 19 for the Raptors, who have lost five straight. The Rockets planned to fly to Minneapolis immediately after the game to attend Wednesday’s funeral for Sasha McHale, the 23-year-

old daughter of coach Kevin McHale. Sasha McHale died on Saturday from complications of lupus. The team will then fly from Minneapolis to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder late yesterday - Harden’s first game there since he was traded to Houston on Oct. 27.

Timberwolves 97, Kings 89 In Sacramento, Kevin Love had 23 points and an NBA season-high 24 rebounds to help Minnesota stop a five-game losing streak by beating Sacramento. Love, who missed the first nine games of the season with a broken right hand, was a force inside all night for the Timberwolves, who took the lead late in the first quarter and never trailed again.

Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins each scored 20 points for the Kings. Luke Ridnour scored 18 and Nikola Pekovic had 16 points and eight rebounds for the Timberwolves, who had fallen into a tailspin after starting the season 5-2.

Two free throws by Cousins pulled Sacramento to 91-89 with just under 3 minutes left. But Pekovic got free for a layup and Love threw up an off-balance shot that went in, giving the Timberwolves a 95-89 lead with 27 seconds remaining. — AP

NBA results/standings Philadelphia 100, Dallas 98; Phoenix 91, Cleveland 78; Houston 117, Toronto 101; Minnesota 97, Sacramento 89; Indiana 79, LA Lakers 77.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT Brooklyn 9 4 .692 NY Knicks 9 4 .692 Philadelphia 9 6 .600 Boston 8 6 .571 Toronto 3 12 .200 Central Division Milwaukee 7 5 .583 Indiana 7 8 .467 Chicago 6 7 .462 Detroit 4 11 .267 Cleveland 3 12 .200 Southeast Division Miami 10 3 .769 Atlanta 8 4 .667 Charlotte 7 6 .538 Orlando 5 8 .385 Washington 0 12 0

GB 1 1.5 7 1.5 1.5 4.5 5.5 1.5 3 5 9.5

Western Conference Northwest Division Oklahoma City 11 4 .733 8 7 .533 Denver Utah 8 7 .533 Minnesota 6 7 .462 Portland 6 8 .429 Pacific Division Golden State 8 6 .571 8 6 .571 LA Clippers LA Lakers 7 8 .467 Phoenix 7 8 .467 Sacramento 4 10 .286 Southwest Division Memphis 10 2 .833 12 3 .800 San Antonio Houston 7 7 .500 Dallas 7 8 .467 New Orleans 4 9 .308

Playing at Sherwood signals a worthy year THOUSAND OAKS: Merely qualifying for the elite field of 18 at this week’s $5 million World Challenge is an achievement in itself for the players, an early Christmas present to signal a successful year.

Though the four-round event hosted by fivetimes champion Tiger Woods is not a PGA Tour event, it offers official world ranking points and every player competing at Sherwood Country Club this week is ranked in the world’s top 35.

“It’s an honor just to be here,” US Open champion Webb Simpson told reporters on a sundrenched Tuesday below the Santa Monica Mountains while preparing for today’s opening round. “To make an elite field of 18 guys is a good feeling and just shows that you’ve been doing the right stuff. I am excited for the week.” Fellow American Keegan Bradley, who won his first major

title at last year’s PGA Championship, agreed.

“It’s always good to be back here at Sherwood and play in Tiger’s tournament,” Bradley said. “It’s a really fun week, one of the most fun weeks of the year on a fun golf course. “If you are in this tournament, you’ve had a great couple of years because you’ve got to be in the top (portion) of the world rankings, so that’s a really good sign.

“This is a bonus tournament. It’s run so amazingly and to have Tiger be the host obviously makes it more special. It’s one that I look forward to every year.”

For PGA Tour veteran Steve Stricker, competing in the warm autumn sunshine of Southern California provides welcome relief from the biting cold of his home in Wisconsin.

“It’s a good opportunity for me to come out of the cold weather and get some rounds under my

belt,” said the 12-time PGA Tour winner. “It just turned for the worse back in Wisconsin this last weekend. We had great weather all fall and I actually played a little golf out on the golf course last week, but then over the weekend it got cold and pretty cruddy.

“I haven’t really picked up the clubs since the (Sep. 28-30) Ryder Cup so it’s a good opportunity to get my game going again for the New Year.”

Woods, who beat compatriot Zach Johnson by one shot to win last year’s World Challenge, is delighted with the quality of the players assembled at Sherwood this week.

“It’s another great field, 11 of 12 Ryder Cuppers from the US side, plus Graeme (McDowell) and (Ian) Poults (Poulter) playing as well,” the world number three said. “It’s a pretty stout field. I’m just really excited about the overall week.”

Woods is also excited to be back at a venue where he has triumphed five times before, most recently 12 months ago when he ended a victory drought of two years.

“I hadn’t won in a little bit there, and it was nice to not only win but to go head to head against Zach and to do it the way I did,” the 14-times major champion said of his 2011 success.

“That really helped a lot because I had to earn it. I was one down with two (holes) to go and birdied the last two. Against a guy like Zach, you know he’s not going to go away.”

The full 18-man field: Woods, Bradley, Jason Dufner, Jim Furyk, Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Simpson, Brandt Snedeker, Stricker, Bubba Watson, Poulter, McDowell, Jason Day, Rickie Fowler, Hunter Mahan, Bo Van Pelt and Nick Watney. — Reuters

3 3 4 4.5 1.5 1.5 4 0 4 4.5 6.5

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

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Mad dash for playoff spots as season turns for home NEW YORK: Super Bowl contenders have started to emerge from the pack with a handful of teams poised to clinch playoff spots this weekend as the National Football League’s (NFL) regular season enters the home stretch.

Heading into final month of the schedule, 26 of the league’s 32 teams are within two games of a playoff spot with only the Kansas City Chiefs (1-10) without a chance of making the trip to New Orleans in February for the NFL’s championship game. The playoff picture in the American Football Conference (AFC) could start to take shape this week with a quartet of division leaders, the Houston Texans (10-1), Baltimore Ravens (9-2), New England Patriots (8-3) and Denver Broncos (83), all in position to clinch playoff spots.

But the road to the postseason is wide open in the National Football Conference (NFC), with only the Atlanta Falcons (10-1) having an opportunity to secure a playoff berth this week.

It has been business as usual in the AFC with Tom Brady and the Patriots looking dangerous cruising along with a three-game lead in the East division and the Texans, living up to preseason

predictions, owning a three-game cushion in the South. The North division has witnessed another bruising street fight with the Ravens overcoming injuries to defensive lynchpins Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs to open up a three-game edge on the Cincinnati Bengals and the wounded Pittsburgh Steelers, who are down to third string quarterback Charlie Batch.

If there is a surprise in the AFC it has come out of the West division, where in-form quarterback Peyton Manning, back from career-threatening neck surgery, has led the Broncos to the top of the division and a commanding four-game lead over the short-circuiting San Diego Chargers. A win over Tampa Bay on Sunday or losses by the Chargers would crown the Broncos as best in the West and set Denver’s sights on first-round bye.

“Our goal is to keep winning and get to the big one,” said Broncos wide receiver Demar yius Thomas. “We’re going to take every game one at a time, take it week by week and just keep going.”

The front runners are being chased by some unexpected dark horses, with rookie quarterback sensation Andrew Luck looking to crash the play-

off party by returning the Indianapolis Colts to the postseason.

The worst team in the NFL a year ago at 2-14, the Colts hold the inside track on an AFC wild card spot with a 7-4 mark chased by the 6-5 Steelers and Bengals. In the NFC, the surprise hangs over who might miss out on the postseason rather than who might advance. “There’s definitely a sense of urgency when you know you cannot stumble,” said Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan. “You’ve got to go out and win each week and it starts with the present game.”

No team will be feeling more urgency this week than the New Orleans Saints (5-6) who are in desperate need of a win to keep their fading playoff hopes alive as they travel to Atlanta to face the Falcons. Saints quarterback Drew Brees has thrown a league-leading 31 touchdowns this season but had two interceptions returned for scores in a loss to the San Francisco 49ers last week that ended a three-game winning street and left New Orleans on the playoff brink.

The Saints, who handed the Falcons their only loss of the campaign earlier in November, will try

for a series sweep and keep their NFC South rivals from locking up a playoff berth.

The Green Bay Packers (7-4), a popular preseason Super Bowl pick, trail the Chicago Bears (8-3) by a game in the North but face a tough test against the division rival Minnesota Vikings (6-5) that could impact their playoff chances.

The New York Giants (7-4) also face a key test on Monday when the Super Bowl champions travel to Washington to take on red-hot rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III and the Redskins (5-6) in a battle that could decide the NFC East.

Griffin brought the Redskins back into the playoff picture behind two brilliant performances against the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles but will need to produce more magic if Washington is to see the postseason.

The 49ers (8-2-1), another early Super Bowl favourite, have taken control of the West over the surprising Seattle Seahawks (6-5) but have not dominated in the fashion most expected and cannot afford a stumble this week against the St. Louis Rams (4-6), who battled them to a draw earlier this season. — Reuters

B’desh missing Shakib for West Indies ODIs KHULNA: Bangladesh are out to salvage pride against the West Indies in a fivematch one-day series starting tomorrow but will be missing star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan for the first two games.

The West Indies cantered to a 2-0 win in this month’s Test series and the loss of 25-year-old Shakib, who suffered a shin injury during the second Test, will be a major blow to the struggling home side.

Captain Mushfiqur Rahim put on a brave face over the loss of Shakib, who will be absent from a Bangladesh ODI line-up for the first time since the 2008 Asia Cup in Pakistan.

“It (playing without Shakib) will be a big challenge,” the skipper said. “But we always plan to play consistent cricket. We

KHULNA: West Indies’ Devon Thomas (right) takes a catch to dismiss Bangladesh Cricket Board XI’s Asif Ahmed during a practice match. —AP

are playing ODI cricket after a long time.

They have a strong one-day side but we will use the Asia Cup memories to inspire us,” said Rahim.

Bangladesh beat one-day heavyweights India and Sri Lanka on their way to the final of the Asia Cup on home soil in March this year before narrowly losing in the final to Pakistan. It was their most recent one-day match.

West Indies, buoyant after winning the Test series, have injury problems of their own as they prepare for the first match in Khulna, with spearhead Tino Best ruled out of the series with a hamstring injury.

Best, who took a maiden five-wicket haul in the first Test in Dhaka and six wickets in Bangladesh’s second innings of the second Test, has been replaced by uncapped fast bowler Jason Holder in the ODI squad. West Indies captain Darren Sammy said he was happy with the balance of his squad. “The nucleus of the team is quite settled. The guys have been performing consistently in the past six to 12 months, which is a good sign,” said Sammy, whose side won the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka last month.

West Indies will be boosted by the return of fast bowler Kemar Roach, who missed the Tests due to a knee injury.

They also boast a star-studded batting line-up led by the powerful Chris Gayle, who is backed up by Marlon Samuels, Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Smith.

Despite his team’s strengths, Sammy said Bangladesh were tough opponents.

“The Bangladesh team is an exciting oneday team, so is the West Indies,” he said.

“And the fans are passionate about cricket. I am looking forward to the series.”

Bangladesh have included uncapped Mominul Hoque as a replacement for the injured Shakib in the first two matches after the 21-year-old left-hander impressed in trial matches this week. The second ODI, on December 2, is also in Khulna, with the remaining three matches in Dhaka on December 5, 7 and 8. The two sides are also playing a single Twenty20 international in Dhaka on December 10. — AFP

Watson fit to share bowling workload PERTH: Australia’s Shane Watson has declared himself fit for both batting and bowling duties in the third and final test against South Africa beginning in Perth tomorrow.

The all-rounder missed the first two drawn tests of the series in Brisbane and Adelaide with a calf injury but was named in the squad for the final match. “Over the last week I have gradually built up my bowling and my running,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

“I am up to bowling as many overs as Michael (Clarke) wants, the normal workload I have in a Test.” The 31-year-old was deemed fit to play as a specialist batsman

in the second test but Australia opted to give him a chance to regain full fitness.

“The decision to miss the last Test was a good one in hindsight because it gave me the best chance to bowl well here,” he said.

“I understand (bowling a lot of overs) could be a possibility for me ... but in the end my body is in the condition to do it.

“I’m certainly fresh compared to some of the other guys who have been out there, so my body should be right.” Australia need a victory at the WACA to return to the number one spot after a gap of more than three years, while a third draw would keep South Africa as the world’s top side in the longest form of the game. — Reuters

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara (center) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (left) run between wickets during the fourth day of their second Test cricket match against New Zealand. — AP

New Zealand close in on historic win in Sri Lanka COLOMBO: New Zealand were within sight of their first test victory in Sri Lanka in 14 years after 17 wickets fell on a thrilling penultimate day of the series yesterday.

The Black Caps set Mahela Jayawardene’s side 363 for victory after first bowling them out for 244 and making 194 for nine declared in their second innings. By stumps Sri Lanka had slumped to 47 for four as New Zealand dismissed Tharanga Paranavitana (0), Tillakaratne Dilshan (14), Kumar Sangakkara (16) and Jayawardene (5).

New Zealand went into the match on the back of five successive losses, their worst run in 57 years. Their last win in Sri Lanka was in 1998 and they were thrashed in the first test of the series in Galle, losing by 10 wickets inside three days. But thanks to fast bowlers Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Doug Bracewell, along with captain Ross Taylor, they set up the chance of a rare win. “We are well aware of the history,” coach Mike Hesson told reporters. “Results don’t lie and five (losses) in a row is hard to take. “I’m delighted we have been able to string together four good days but clearly we have still got a lot of work to do and tomorrow is a huge day for us. “We have continued to bowl well and I thought we bowled well in Galle too with the young seamers and they stood up again tonight.

“It was nice to get the three big boys out (Dilshan, Sangakkara and Jayawardene) tonight but we know we are going to have to work for every one of those six wickets and it could take us until 5 o’clock (on Thursday).”

The day began with superb spells by Southee (five for 62) and Boult (four for 42) as New Zealand took the home side’s final four wickets for 19 runs after they had resumed at 225 for six.

The stubborn Thilan Samaraweera topscored with 76 but he failed to add to his overnight total before being caught at second slip by Martin Guptill off Boult to give the leftarmer his 100th first-class wicket.

Boult also removed overnight batsman Suraj Randiv (39), lbw to an excellent inswinger, and claimed the final wicket when

he had Rangana Herath (5) brilliantly caught in the gully by Kane Williamson. Southee weighed in with the wicket of Nuwan Kulasekara (6), caught at first slip by Ross Taylor, to record his first five-wicket haul of the series. That gave New Zealand a first-innings lead of 168 but when they slumped to 75 for five just after lunch, including the loss of three wickets in four balls, their dreams of levelling the series appeared on rocky ground.

They were rescued by Taylor, who followed up his first innings 142 with a patient 74 from 95 balls, including only two fours, the first of which he struck to bring up his half-century.

The captain found a willing ally in debutant Todd Astle, who made a resourceful 35 as the pair added 97 for the sixth wicket. “There were some jitters straight after lunch,” said Hesson.

“It was important not to look too far ahead and Ross was extremely composed while Todd

backed his own game to produce a crucial partnership for us.”

Herath was again the most successful bowler for Sri Lanka and finished with three for 67 to give him nine wickets in the match and 20 in the two-test series.

Sri Lanka were left with an awkward period to negotiate before bad light set in and in that time Southee (two for 19) and Bracewell (two for five) created havoc.

Southee removed Paranivitana first ball, lbw to a swinging delivery, and had Dilshan driving airily and edging to wicketkeeper Kruger van Wyk. Then Bracewell got in on the act as Sangakkara played on before Jayawardene pushed tamely at another Bracewell delivery to edge to Van Wyk. Samaraweera was unbeaten on one at the close with Angelo Mathews also on one and Sri Lanka needing a miracle to prevent a New Zealand victory. — Reuters

SCOREBOARD Scoreboard at the close of the fourth day of the second cricket test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Colombo yesterday: New Zealand first innings 412 Sri Lanka first innings (overnight 225-6) T. Paranavitana c Van Wyk b Southee 40 T. Dilshan b Southee 5 K. Sangakkara c Boult b Southee 0 M. Jayawardene c Williamson b Boult 4 A. Mathews c Guptill b Southee 47 T. Samaraweera c Guptill b Boult 76 P. Jayawardene c Williamson b Patel 12 S. Randiv lbw b Boult 39 N. Kulasekara C Taylor b Southee 6 R. Herath C Williamson b Boult 5 S. Eranga not out 3 Extras (lb-3, w-1, nb-3) 7 Total (all out; 94 overs) 244 Fall: 1-7 2-7 3-12 4-102 5-103 6-128 7-225 8232 9-240 Bowling: Southee 22-4-62-5 (1nb), Boult 21-742-4 (2nb, 1w), Patel 22-3-47-1, Astle 13-2-410, Bracewell 13-1-44-0, Williamson 3-1-5-0.

New Zealand second innings M. Guptill c Dilshan b Eranga 11 B. McCullum st P. Jayawardene b Herath 35 K. Williamson c Paranavitana b Kulasekara 18 R. Taylor run out 75 D. Flynn lbw b Kulasekara 0 K. Van Wyk c Paranavitana b Herath 0 T. Astle c Dilshan b Randiv 35 D. Bracewell c Kulasekara b Herath 1 T. Southee not out 8 J. Patel st P. Jayawardene b Randiv 0 T. Boult not out 6 Extras (lb-3, nb-2) 5 Total (nine wickets dec; 54 overs) 194 Fall: 1-32 2-56 3-74 4-74 5-75 6-172 7-177 8180 9-182 Bowling: Kulasekara 12-2-47-2, Eranga 10-139-1 (1nb), Herath 21-3-67-3, Randiv 11-1-38-2 (1nb)

Battered and bruised Proteas aim to defend ranking in Perth

MUMBAI: England cricket players who are in India for the Test series against India pose with Mayor of London, Boris Johnson at a reception in Mumbai. Johnson is on a six-day trip to India to promote business links with London. — AP

SYDNEY: After batsmen ruled the first two tests, fast bowling could be the decisive factor when Australia and South Africa re-engage their heavyweight tussle for the number one Test ranking in the final match of the series tomorrow.

A defiant rearguard action from the tourists in Adelaide on Monday denied Australia captain Michael Clarke the victory his sublime batting probably deserved and meant the series would go into the third contest in Perth all square. While Australia need a victory at the WACA to return to the number one spot after a gap of more than three years, a third draw would keep South Africa as the world’s top side in the longest form of the game. “Both teams will be pretty battered and bruised (but) we’re level pegging going into Perth,” South Africa skipper Graeme Smith, whose team are unbeaten in a test series on the road since 2006, said on Monday. “For us, that is great ... We wanted to go to Perth in that position and give ourselves a chance of winning a series in Australia again, and we have that opportunity.” Smith will be hoping that paceman Vernon Philander is fit to rejoin his strike bowling unit after a lower back injury ruled him

out of the second Test. After a sensational introduction to test cricket, Philander failed to take a wicket for the first time in the drawn series-opener in Brisbane.

His return would, however, allow South Africa to select a four-pronged pace attack with Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Rory Kleinveldt all looking to fire on what is expected to be a lively track.

Jacques Kallis might not be able to back up the much-vaunted, but so far disappointing, bowling attack after injuring his hamstring in Adelaide but the all-rounder should retain his place in the side as a batsman. Australia’s top all-rounder Shane Watson, by contrast, is back from injury and primed to play a role with both bat and ball in Perth, where he is likely to perform a supporting role to Australia’s own pace quartet. The exact combination Australia deploy, should they decide to omit spinner Nathan Lyon, has been muddied by the injury to James Pattinson, but it could mean a return to test cricket for 2009 ICC Player of the Year Mitchell Johnson.

The 31-year-old quick has had a tumultuous couple of years and suffered something of a meltdown during the 2010-11 Ashes series, but there are few

bowlers more dangerous at the WACA. Johnson’s ability to summon swing at the ground has netted him 30 wickets at an average of 18.13 in four tests, including 8-61 and 3-98 against South Africa in 2008. Fellow left-armer Mitchell Starc remains the most likely addition to the team, however, while youngsters Josh Hazlewood and John Hastings were also named in the squad in case there was a need to completely overhaul the exhausted bowling unit.

What is not in any doubt is the form of Clarke and Mike Hussey, who have combined for partnerships of 228 and 272 in the first two tests.Clarke’s unbeaten 259 in Brisbane, followed by a 230 in Adelaide, shored up a sometime wobbly top order and somewhat overshadowed successive centuries for Hussey.

The Australian captain was not surprised that his batting heroics in the series have so far failed to result in a victory for his team, given the quality of the opposition. “We knew we would have to fight,” Clarke said on Monday. “It was no different in Brisbane and it will be no different in Perth. We will have to play our best cricket for five days to give ourselves a chance of winning the series.” — Reuters

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

S P ORT S

Brazilians flourish in Ukraine mining city DONETSK: It’s hard to imagine a bigger contrast with the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. The Ukrainian city of Donetsk is surrounded by slagheaps, was once named Stalino and is a gritty industrial hub dominated by mining.

Yet it is in this unlikely location on the fringes of Europe where for the last few years a legion of Brazilian footballers has prospered to turn the local football team, Shakhtar Donetsk, into arguably the finest in the former Soviet Union.

An entire football team could be formed from the Brazilian players who have pulled on the orange jersey of The Pitmen in the recent decade.

Backed by the financial clout of club owner Rinat Akhmetov and inspired by the leadership of Romanian manager Mircea Lucescu, the Brazilians have now made the club a force to be reckoned with in Europe.

“They all are really talented, hard-working and well-adapted for our playing style,” Akhmetov told AFP. “They all are also full of desire to keep on progressing. And that means that we are moving in the right direction.”

The city, founded by Welsh industrialist John Hughes in the 19th century, is marked by Soviet high-rises and no architectural jewel. But thanks to

Akhmetov it now boasts the Donbass Arena, one of the finest football grounds in Europe.

Shakhtar won the last edition of the UEFA Cup in 2009 but the club is now enjoying what could be its best ever season-outclassing rivals Dynamo Kiev to head the Ukrainian domestic league and into the last 16 of the Champions League.

—- ‘I hardly imagined staying’- Current star Fernandinho, who hails from the balmy climes of Londrina in southern Brazil, remembered the shock of arriving in Donetsk seven years ago.

“Frankly speaking, when I was a 20-year-old guy and crossed the ocean to find myself in a completely uncommon country I could hardly imagine that I would stay here for more than three seasons,” he told AFP. “But it became a rapidly growing club and everything changed quickly for the better. We achieved some serious results and my opinion about Shakhtar and its prospects has also changed.”

“Today I’m 27 and my current contract with Shakhtar runs until 2016. And it would not be a sensation if I decided to finish my career here,” he added. Fernandinho acknowledged that money was the main driving force for young Brazilian players in their transfer moves to Europe.

“Of course money is the main thing,” he said.

“Financial opportunities of the European clubs outweigh the means of Brazilian sides.” “Besides, the advanced western European countries like Italy, Germany, France attract footballers with their high standards of life, which are much better than the conditions in Brazil.”

He added that though Ukraine has so far failed to reach the level of the advanced European countries, the club from Donetsk is an oasis of comfort which allows the footballer to concentrate on the game completely and to show rapid progress.

—- ‘A turning point’ —- Forward Brandao was the first Brazilian player to come to Shakhtar. He appeared in the Donbass mining belt team two years before Lucescu became manager in 2004.

Under Lucescu’s coaching, Brandao developed his playing skills, which attracted the attention of French giants Marseille, who lured the Brazilian in 2008. Lucescu has made no secret of his admiration for Brazilian football since he captained Romania in the 1970s and had players like Ronaldo at his disposal when he was coach at Italian Serie A giants Inter Milan. The manager said he considered defender Francelino Matuzalem, whom Shakhtar purchased in 2005, as the key signing which trig-

gered the club’s “Brazilian” development.

“The Matuzalem transfer became a turning point for Shakhtar as we started to create the new team around this player, who immediately became its true leader,” said Lucescu, who even learned Portuguese to help coach the Brazilians.

“I’m really happy to have an opportunity to take very young players into the team and raise their skills to the level of the Champions League in just two or three years,” Lucescu said.

Lucescu’s practice of nurturing young talents allowed Shakhtar to overcome the departure of its leaders Matuzalem and Elano, who left the club in 2008. Top European sides have now woken up to the riches on display in the Donbass.

Another Brazilian star at Shakhtar, 24-year-old midfielder Willian, who netted a double in November ’s clash with European champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, was hugely disappointed when his transfer move to the west London club failed because the clubs were unable to agree financial terms. “Willian was really upset when the deal collapsed but he behaved as a true professional,” Lucescu commented. “He managed to overcome his disappointment and now we see at the pitch that Willian is as he once was.” — AFP

Puerto Rico says adios to boxer ‘Macho’ Camacho

Mohamed Bin Hammam

Bin Hammam and AFC future on the line in KL SEOUL: A divided Asian Football Confederation gathers for its annual awards ceremony in Kuala Lumpur today amid an increasingly toxic atmosphere, with suspended chief Mohamed bin Hammam calling those in charge puppets and claiming he has the support of most AFC national associations.

On Thursday, Asian football will laud its player, coach and team of 2012 but beyond the glitter and red carpet will be more intense political maneuvers, as the AFC’s decision-making Executive Committee meets to discuss the bin Hammam imbroglio that has now dragged on for 18 months. Bin Hammam, who took the post in 2002, was found guilty of vote-buying during his challenge against FIFA president Sepp Blatter in May 2011 and FIFA’s Ethics Committee suspended him from all football activity for life.

After an appeal, the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned that ban in July. Bin Hammam, 63, was subsequently banned temporarily by both FIFA and AFC as allegations of financial irregularities during his nine-year tenure are investigated by the world governing body. The Qatari has repeatedly denied all charges, claiming that there are forces at work both in Asia and elsewhere out to get him. “I believe (my suspension) causes huge damage to the AFC,” bin Hammam told Associated Press by email. “The AFC is no longer its own master. It is now controlled partly by FIFA and partly by the Olympic

Council of Asia (OCA).

“Unfortunately, there are those who are currently in power and decision-making positions in AFC who are no more than puppets and blind followers of either FIFA or the OCA. These people believe that FIFA and the OCA are going to either put them in a more powerful position or consolidate their current position.”

Zhang Jilong, a Chinese executive, took the role of acting president of the AFC following bin Hammam’s suspension. Zhang had remained tight-lipped about his suspended predecessor for much of his 18 months in the job but broke that silence in October when he accused the Qatari and his lawyer of using intimidating tactics against former colleagues. “Their plan is intimidate and create technical legal issues and objections in the hope that the more serious allegations of secret commissions, bribery, corruption and other wrong-doings are never exposed to the light of day,” Zhang wrote in a letter to AFC member associations.

Bin Hammam believes however that he has the support of the majority. “I will say that in the whole of Asia, I can identify only around five to six member associations and officials who are actively working against me. Particularly I will not accuse the Chinese FA of any attempts to damage my reputation or that they are part of group of people who are responsible for what I am going through today. —AP

SAN JUAN: Family, fans and fellow boxers said goodbye Tuesday to Hector “Macho” Camacho at a memorial and wake for the slain former world champion fighter known for his flamboyance in and out of the ring.

Hundreds of people took pictures and filed past Camacho’s open casket, displayed inside a gymnasium decked out for the occasion with black carpet and curtains. The boxer wore white, along with a large gold crucifix and a necklace spelling out his nickname, “Macho,” in capital letters. First up were members of his immediate family, including his mother, Maria Matias, who wept and caressed her son’s face in the coffin, which was draped in a Puerto Rican flag. “They killed him,” she wailed at one point.

Camacho was shot Nov. 20 while sitting in a parked car with a friend outside a bar in Bayamon, his hometown. The friend died at the scene and the boxer three days later after doctors removed him from life support. Police have said they have suspects but have not yet arrested anyone for the shooting.

After the family came a cross-section of Puerto Rican society that included parents with children in strollers, the elderly, road crew workers in neon safety vests, US soldiers in uniform and a who’s who of Puerto Rican boxers.

As the service began, hundreds of people stood and clapped for nearly a minute. “What time is it?” someone in the crowd yelled. “It’s Macho time!” the crowd responded.

“Everybody loved him here in Puerto Rico,” said Henry Neumann, the secretary of the U.S. island territory’s sports and recreation department. “He is one of those athletes who transcended the barriers of his country not only for his skill inside the ring but for his personality.”

Hundreds of people waited patiently outside as officials closed the doors temporarily for the service. Loud salsa music pounded from speakers nearby, and a couple of vendors handed out Puerto Rican flags. Inside, people took advantage of the more than 30 former and current world boxing champions from Puerto Rico, yelling at them to come over for a picture or an autograph. Above Camacho’s casket was a large screen that showed some of his most famous bouts, along with clips of TV shows in which he appeared. Camacho, who was 50 when he died, left Puerto Rico as a child and moved to New York. He went on to win super lightweight, light-

SAN JUAN: Maria Matias (right) mother of the former boxing champion Hector ‘Macho’ Camacho is embraced as she weeps at her son’s memorial service. — AP weight and junior welterweight world titles in the 1980s and fought high-profile bouts against Felix Trinidad, Julio Cesar Chavez and Sugar Ray Leonard. He had a career record of 79-6-3 and was a showman in the ring, chanting “It’s Macho time” before fights and wearing garish jewelry.

He battled drug and alcohol problems throughout his life and had frequent run-ins with police. When he was shot, police found an open package of cocaine in the car and nine unopened packages on his friend.

“No one deserves to die in such a manner, especially someone that has brought so much glory to Puerto Rico,” said Jose Penagaricano, the former president of the island’s boxing commission.

A police officer in Bayamon, Raul Nazario, recalled at the wake how he saw Camacho one day and drove over in his squad car to greet him, but the boxer fled. Later, out of uniform, the officer said he ran into him again and they exchanged a laugh and Camacho posed with him for a photo. “For Puerto Rican people he was something great,” Nazario said.

Many of those in attendance had similar per-

sonal encounters. Doris Correa, a 71-year-old from the town of Vega Baja, showed a photo she took of Camacho in the 1980s, when her family and his happened to be camping in the same campground in the island’s southwest. At one point, he grabbed a microphone, declared “it’s Macho time,” and began singing for everyone.

“Back then, we didn’t know what karaoke was,” she said. “He invented it.”

Boxer Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez, one of several dozen fighters on hand to say goodbye, recalled Camacho’s dazzling speed in the ring.

“He was definitely a showman,” he said. “It was something grandiose.”

The president of the World Boxing Organization, Francisco Valcarcel, said Camacho opened the door for many other Puerto Rican boxers. “No one in this world is perfect, and Macho was not perfect,” he said. “But Macho paved the road.”

The memorial and wake was scheduled to last two days. Camacho’s godson, Widniel Adorno, said the boxer’s body will be flown to New York on Thursday, and that a funeral is scheduled for the weekend. — AP

Zico quits as Iraq coach RIO DE JANEIRO: Zico quit as coach of the Iraqi national team on Tuesday after little more than a year in the post, saying the country’s soccer association had failed to fulfill the terms of his contract.

The former Brazil captain’s resignation comes with Iraq still battling for a place at the 2014 World Cup finals. “I would like to inform via this website that I have sent a communication to FIFA ... and to the Iraq Football Association declaring that I consider my contract to be void due to the IFA’s failure to abide by its terms,” he said on his website (www.ziconarede.com.br) “I will provide further details shortly.” Iraq are third in Group B in the fourth phase of Asian qualifying with five points from five games, trailing second-placed Australia only

on goal difference. Japan lead the group on 13 points. The top two teams qualify directly for Brazil in 2014 while the third-place team goes into a playoff system. Zico is widely considered one of his country’s finest players but has refused to coach in his homeland, saying the pressure is too great. Instead he has plied his trade abroad, most notably in a four-year spell with Japan, who he led to the 2006 World Cup and won the Asian Cup in 2004. Since then, he has coached Turkish club Fenerbahce, reaching the Champions League quarter-finals once and Greek side Olympiakos. Zico made his debut as Iraq coach against Jordan in September last year. He has been in charge for 21 games, with 10 wins and six draws. Iraq have played home matches in Doha for security reasons. — Reuters

India moves closer to IOC suspension NEW DELHI: The Indian Olympic Association was warned again yesterday that it faces imminent suspension by the IOC because of government interference in its elections.

The International Olympic Committee reiterated in a letter that the Indian body faces sanctions unless it resolves the issues surrounding next Wednesday’s elections. The letter called on IOA officials to explain their position by tomorrow.

The IOC has been urging the Indians to adhere to their own constitution and the Olympic Charter and not follow a contentious government sports code. “The IOC and OCA (Olympic Council of Asia) will not send delegates to India at this stage,” the IOC said in the letter, which was distributed to the media.

“From your letter of 26 November, we came to the conclusion that the IOA and the government authorities are unable to rectify the situation in order for the IOA elections to be conducted in line with the Olympic Charter and the IOA Constitution, as required by the IOC.” The letter said India’s proposed suspen-

sion would come up before the IOC executive board at its meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, next Wednesday and Thursday. The letter was sent by IOC director general Christophe de Kepper to IOA acting chief Vijay Kumar Malhotra Suspension would mean a halt to IOC funding and a ban on Indian officials from attending Olympic meetings and events.

India’s athletes would also be barred from competing in the Olympics under their national flag, although the IOC could allow them to take part under the Olympic flag. The Indian body has been mired in wrangling over the elections to replace tainted official Suresh Kalmadi, who was jailed for nine months on corruption charges related to the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi before being granted bail.

Kalmadi, who headed the IOA for 16 years, decided not to seek re-election but his close aide Lalit Bhanot is running for secretary-general, even though he was also jailed last year for corruption related to the Commonwealth Games. — AP

Fahaheel Royal Bengal team

Friday Court team

BEC T-10 cricket tournament KUWAIT: The First two rounds of the BEC T-10 Tournament was played in the Abu Halifa in a nail biting contest. Teams from all over Kuwait participated in the tournament. Finally United 11, Friends 11, YMCC and Kirby entered the semifinal rounds, and it will be an exciting lineup on Nov 30 between the top four teams.

In the quarter final, United 11 defeated Friday Court by seven wickets and YMCC cruised into the semi-final by thrashing Red n Black. In another match, Shining Mangalore were upset by hard-

Goan Boys team

working United 11. Challengers stumbled to a herculean task set

by Kirby.

The Semi final lineup is as follows: Nov 30, 2012 10 AM FRIENDS 11 Vs YMCC Ground 1 Nov 30, 2012 12.30 PM UNITED 11 Vs KIRBY Ground 1LOSERS FINAL Nov 30, 2012 2 PM Losers, Match 29 Vs. Match 30 Ground 2FINAL Nov 30, 2012 2PM Winners, Match 29 Vs. Match 30 Ground 1

Team Extreme

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

S P ORT S

Malaga squeeze through in Cup Real, Betis and Osasuna all into last 16

LONDON: Sunderland’s Beninese midfielder Stephane Sessegnon (left) vies with Queens Park Rangers’ South Korean midfielder Park Ji-Sung (right) during the English Premier League football match. — AFP

QPR grab point on Redknapp debut Sunderland 0

QPR 0 SUNDERLAND: Robert Green helped ensure Harry Redknapp’s first match as Queens Park Rangers manager started with a point following a goalless draw away to Sunderland on Tuesday.

But the result meant QPR remained bottom of the table, having yet to win their first league match of the season in what is now 14 games in the top flight this term.

And with Aston Villa defeating Reading, Tuesday’s results left QPR-who last week saw their Malaysian owner Tony Fernandes sack Mark Hughes as their manager-eight points adrift of safety. However, their plight

could have been even worse but for the performance of former England goalkeeper Green. On as a second half substitute for the injured Julio Cesar, Green somehow clawed away Steven Fletcher’s goalbound header in the 64th minute.

Cesar himself had made a first half block to deny Scotland international Fletcher but the game was far from one-way traffic and, having performed rescue acts in helping Portsmouth and Tottenham stay in the Premier League after poor starts, Redknapp may fancy his chances of another salvage operation.

Rangers saw former Sunderland striker Djibril Cisse denied by home goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, who also saved well from Jamie Mackie, at the Stadium of Light. And had Stephane Mbia’s long-range effort been a touch more accurate, the west London club could have been celebrating that longed-for first league win of the season. — AFP

MADRID: Third tier Cacereno came within centimetres of upsetting Malaga in the King’s Cup on Tuesday, winning 1-0 at the Rosaleda but going out on away goals after drawing 4-4 on aggregate.

Real Madrid, Real Betis and Osasuna all reached the last 16, while second division Cordoba and Las Palmas claimed the scalps of top-flight sides to progress. The split among Real fans over their support for coach Jose Mourinho, in the spotlight after his side slipped 11 points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona, was evident at the Bernabeu as some sections whistled when others chanted his name.

Qatar-owned Malaga, who are fourth in La Liga and have cruised into the last 16 of the Champions League, were clinging on desperately at the end of their last-32, second leg but had luck on their side.

Cacereno winger Chapi pounced on a loose ball after a free-kick to put the visitors ahead in the 37th minute and they sensed an upset towards the end of the second half.

Malaga defender Martin Demichelis diverted a goal-bound shot just wide of his own post and goalkeeper Carlos Kameni pushed another shot into the side-netting in the closing stages.

When the visitors did finally bundle the ball home again at a corner the ‘goal’ was ruled out for offside and Manuel Pellegrini’s side hung on to go through. “Without the correct attitude you cannot play football,” Pellegrini, who famously suffered a 4-1 humiliation to third-tier Alcorcon as Real Madrid coach, told a news conference. “If we had gone out it would have been fair enough.” Mourinho gave four B team players a start against third-tier Alcoyano, including an official debut for 21-year-old winger Denis Cheryshev, who made his first appearance for Fabio Capello’s Russia in a friendly this month.

However, it was the established figures of

MADRID: Real Madrid’s Jose Maria Callejon (right) duels for the ball with Alcoyano’s Oscar Lopez during their Copa del Rey soccer match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. — AP Jose Callejon with two goals and substitute Angel Di Maria with one who struck late for a 3-0 victory as Real triumphed 7-1 on aggregate.

Mourinho sent out assistant Aitor Karanka to speak to the media after the game and answer questions about the whistles. “You hear a lot of things in the dugout,” he said. “People at the stadium have the right to express themselves.

“There will be people who are in favour and those who aren’t but no one can doubt our professionalism.”

Cordoba upset Real Sociedad by taking advantage of some poor defending to draw 2-2 at Anoeta and advance 4-2 on aggregate. The

Andalucian club’s prize is likely to be a meeting with holders Barcelona, who host Alaves on Wednesday with a 3-0 first-leg advantage.

Las Palmas ousted Rayo 1-0 on aggregate after grabbing a goalless draw in Vallecas where the home side had their goalkeeper sent off for the second time in the tie.

Real Betis, spurred on by their surprise 1-0 defeat of league champions Real at the weekend, overturned a first leg deficit against Valladolid to progress 3-1 on aggregate.

Osasuna joined them with a 2-0 home win over second tier Sporting Gijon, giving them a 2-1 triumph. — Reuters

Messi favorite for fourth Ballon d’Or PARIS: Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi will discover who his rivals are for this year’s Ballon d’Or on Thursday when FIFA and France Football announce the three finalists for the prestigious award in Sao Paulo.

Argentine Messi appears the overwhelming favourite for the honour and should he be crowned, he would become the first player to win the award four times having already joined French legend Michel Platini as the only other player to triumph on three consecutive occasions.

In normal circumstances, Cristiano Ronaldo’s haul of 46 goals in La Liga last season-only surpassed by Messi’s astonishing 50 — would likely have placed him in pole position, but Messi’s record-breaking feats have left the Portuguese talisman in his shadow.

Messi’s brace in Barca’s 4-0 win at Levante on Sunday lifted him onto 82 goals for the season, just three short of Gerd Mueller’s alltime calendar record of 85 set in 1972.

The 25-year-old also drew level with Ruud van Nistelrooy as the second-highest scorer in Champions League history with 56 goals last week, trailing only former Real Madrid and Schalke striker Raul’s tally of 71.

Unsurprisingly, Messi has the backing of Barca teammate Gerard Pique-one of eight Spaniards on the 23-man shortlist.

“I respect those who believe that Cristiano Ronaldo deserves the Ballon d’Or, but I live with Leo, he is an alien, and Cristiano is the best of the humans,” reasoned the Barcelona defender.

With Ronaldo, who guided his country to the semi-finals of Euro 2012 only for Portugal to lose to their Iberian neighbours Spain on penalties, also assured of making the cut, the identity of the third nominee will arguably be Thursday’s most intriguing revelation.

Andres Iniesta and Xavi are prime candidates for the final spot, having played central roles in Spain’s defence of their European

title, while La Roja captain Iker Casillas labelled Real Madrid colleague Sergio Ramos as his “first option”, hardly music to Ronaldo’s ears.

Iniesta, voted the best player of Euro 2012, finished second to Messi following Spain’s World Cup glory in 2010, while Xavi has featured on the last three ballots, coming third each time.

The winner, voted for by journalists as well as the captains and managers of national teams, will be unveiled in Zurich on January 7. 23-man shortlist of players listed alphabetically: Sergio Aguero, Xabi Alonso, Mario Balotelli, Karim Benzema, Gianluigi Buffon, Sergio Busquets, Iker Casillas, Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba, Radamel Falcao, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi, Manuel Neuer, Neymar, Mesut Ozil, Gerard Pique, Andrea Pirlo, Sergio Ramos, Wayne Rooney, Yaya Toure, Robin van Persie, Xavi. — AFP

Dortmund held at home

LONDON: Aston Villa’s Irish defender Enda Stevens (right) vies for the ball with Reading’s English forward Adam Le Fondre (left) during the English Premier League football match. — AFP

Benteke seals Villa victory Aston Villa 1

Reading 0 BIRMINGHAM: Christian Benteke proved a more than able stand-in for record signing Darren Bent by scoring the winner that saw Aston Villa beat Reading 1-0 on Tuesday.

Victory, only their third in the league this season, lifted Villa out of the bottom three while Reading remained in the relegation zone. It also helped Villa manager Paul Lambert justify his decision to leave Bent out of his squad entirely for the second successive match.

However, it was not until 10 minutes

from time that Belgium international Benteke ended a run of a four-games without a goal by heading in a corner from Ashley Westwood.

Villa dominated possession and chances, with Benteke testing Reading’s Australian keeper Adam Federici early on with a low shot after good work by recalled midfielder Brett Holman.

Benteke then turned provider, only for Andreas Weimann to shoot wastefully over the bar from just six yards out.

In the second half, Villa continued to press but the game seem destined for a goalless stalemate that would have done neither side much good until Benteke, a £7 million ($11 million) pre-season signing from Genk, settled the match when he rose above the Royals’ defence to power in a downward header past Federici. — AFP

BERLIN: Borussia Dortmund conceded a late equaliser to draw 1-1 at home to 10-man Fortuna Duesseldorf on Tuesday as Bayern Munich’s lead at the top of the Bundesliga leaders remains a commanding eight points.

Bayern host second-placed Dortmund on Saturday in the clash of the Bundesliga titans and with Munich playing on Wednesday night at Freiburg, Dortmund missed both the chance to shorten the gap and earn their fifth-straight victory.

Both Schalke 04 and Eintracht Frankfurt, in the pack chasing Bayern, suffered shock defeats and Bayern can go 11 points clear with a victory at Freiburg. Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp left out midfield stars Mario Goetze and Ilkay Gundogan, plus defender Mats Hummels, who were all carrying knocks.

The move back-fired as Stefan Reisinger equalised on 78 minutes from a superb cross

by Australia’s Robbie Kruse after Poland captain Jakub Blaszczykowski-Kuba for short-had put the defending champions Borussia ahead on 43 minutes.

“We did not have many goal chances and we failed to convert the few we had,” said Klopp. “At half-time, I told them any success Duesseldorf had was because we allowed them to counter-attack us. “Duesseldorf should be happy with the point, they hit us very well on the counter.” Duesseldorf were reduced to 10 men when ex-Dortmund midfielder Ivan Paurevic was shown an 87thminute red card after earning a second booking when he brought down Borussia defender Lukasz Piszczek.

After the final whistle, Fortuna’s jubilant players were banned from giving interviews to German Sky Sports. “We aren’t giving Sky any interviews today, they have belittled us in the past,” explained Duesseldorf’s director of sport Wolf Werner, while angrily pulling captain Andreas Lambertz away from the cameras. Schalke suffered a 3-1 defeat at Hamburg as midfielder Maximilian Beister slammed home the hosts’ opener-which was recorded at 117km per hour-on 52 minutes, then helped set up Latvia striker Artjoms Rudnevs three minutes.

Hamburg defender Dennis Aogo had earlier kept his side in the game when he cleared a shot off the line while Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar netted a 79th-minute penalty at the second attempt.

Hamburg midfielder Milan Badelj netted a

GERMANY: Duesseldorf’s Danish forward Ken Ilso (right) and Dortmund’s midfielder Sven Bendervie for the ball during the German First Division Bundesliga football match. — AFP

92nd-minute penalty to consign Schalke to their third defeat in their last five Bundesliga games as they remain third.

“This phase of the season, where we have so many games, is a factor, but that is no excuse,” said Schalke 04 Huub Stevens, whose side have qualified for the knock-out phase of the Champions League.

Frankfurt stay fourth despite their 3-1

defeat at Mainz having been out-played and Bayer Leverkusen can jump to second from fifth if they win at Werder Bremen late yesterday. Hanover 96 moved up into sixth, amongst the European places, with a 2-0 win at home to second-from-bottom Greuther Fuerth with goals by Senegal striker Mame Diouf and Swiss defender Mario Eggimann.—AFP

Palermo crash out of Cup MILAN: A goal in either half from ten-man second division side Hellas Verona was enough to send Palermo crashing out of the Italian Cup at the fourth round Tuesday.

Luigi Giorgi gave the Serie A side a sixthminute lead, but less than a minute later Andrea Cocco forced his way through the Palermo defence to level with an angled drive. Verona’s chances of booking a fifth

round match-up with Inter Milan dipped dramatically just after the hour when Fabrizio Cacciatore was booked, and then shown a red for dissent.

However the visitors stunned the Sicilians with the winning goal four minutes later after a poor clearance from Carlos Labrin came off the body of Verona player Daniele Cacia went back into the net. — AFP

19

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

SPORTS

Fulham deny Benitez a first Chelsea goal Chelsea 0

Fulham 0

LIVERPOOL: Arsenal’s German defender Per Mertesacker (left) vies with Everton’s Croatian striker Nikica Jelavic (right) during the English Premier League football match. —AFP

Fellaini frustrates spluttering Arsenal Everton 1

Arsenal 1

LIVERPOOL: Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini added to spluttering Arsenal’s frustration as the Gunners had to settle for a 11 draw at Goodison Park yesterday. Arsene Wenger’s side got off to a flying start thanks to the returning Theo Walcott who found the net after just 52 seconds. But that early goal stunned Everton into life and also seemed to make Arsenal rest on their laurels as the Toffees took control and levelled after 27 minutes through Fellaini’s curling effort. Wenger was desperate for a win to get some unhappy fans off his back and get their bid for a top-four finish back on track, but Arsenal had to withstand severe pressure from the hosts and in the end left thankful for a point.

Everton’s sixth draw in eight games left the hosts in sixth place, four points behind fourth placed West Bromwich Albion. Some Arsenal fans sang ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ at the Gunners boss on Saturday during their goalless draw with Aston Villa when Wenger opted to replace striker Olivier Giroud with defensive midfielder Francis Coquelin in the second half.

But Giroud was in the starting line-up against Everton while Walcott, Jack Wilshere, Bacary Sagna and Thomas Vermaelen all came in after the disappointing draw at Villa Park.

The Gunners had just two wins in their last six league outings, but Arsenal had won on four of their last five visits to Goodison Park and they were the last team

to beat Moyes’s side there last March.

And it looked like it would be happy hunting ground again inside a minute when Walcott put the Gunners ahead on his return from a shoulder injury. A clever ball from Aaron Ramsey put the England winger clear on the left and he curled into the top corner with the help of a deflection off Phil Jagielka that took it out of Tim Howard’s reach.

A timely reminder for Wenger that he needs to get Walcott to pen a new contract before possible suitors can lure him away in the summer for nothing. Everton have not been in sparking form either with five draws and one win recently, but they were back in the game through Fellaini. The Belgian capitalised on an error by Sagna who played the ball dangerously across the pitch just yards outside his box with Mikel Arteta down after a robust challenge from Steven Pienaar.

Fellaini collected the loose ball and curled in from 25 yards to bring the sides level with his seventh of the season. The goalscorer almost turned creator after 39 minutes when he flicked on to Nikica Jelavic who beat Per Mertesacker with ease but his resulting strike was well over. After the break, confusion in the Arsenal area gave Pienaar a chance but Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny saved at his near post before the Pole was called upon again from the resulting corner. At the second attempt Leighton Baines found Sylvain Distin and the defender powered a header goalwards that was palmed away by Szczesny.

Arteta could have given his old club a gift as he appeared to bring down Pienaar in the area on the hour mark but referee Michael Oliver waved play on. Arsenal finally seemed to wake up again with 20 minutes to go but when Giroud broke away down the left his cross was too high from second-half substitute Gervinho.—AFP

Chelsea 0 Fulham 0; Everton 1 (Fellaini 28) Arsenal 1 (Walcott 1); Manchester United 1 (Van Persie 1) West Ham 0; Southampton 1 (Lambert 32) Norwich 1 (Snodgrass 45); Stoke 2 (Walters 81, Jerome 85) Newcastle 1 (Cisse 47); Swansea 3 (Michu 9, Routledge 11, 39) West Brom 1 (Lukaku 45); Tottenham 2 (Lennon 7, Bale 16) Liverpool 1 (Bale 72-og); Wigan 0 Manchester City 2 (Balotelli 69, Milner 72). matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, Fulham Liverpool Norwich Newcastle Wigan Sunderland Aston Villa Southampton Reading QPR

14 14 14 14 14 13 14 14 13 14

4 3 3 3 4 2 3 3 1 0

5 7 7 5 2 7 4 3 6 5

5 4 4 6 8 4 7 8 6 9

25 18 11 14 15 12 11 21 16 10

23 18 20 21 25 16 22 31 23 26

17 16 16 14 14 13 13 12 9 5

Gazzaniga denies Saints Southampton 1

Norwich 1

SOUTHAMPTON: Southampton goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga made a costly blunder in his side’s 1-1 draw against Norwich as referee Mark Clattenburg returned after being cleared of racism allegations.

Clattenburg began the night in the spotlight at St Mary’s on his first refereeing appointment since the Football Association dismissed Chelsea’s accusation that the official had racially abused Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel during a match against Manchester United on October 28.

Clattenburg missed four weekends of Premier League matches while the FA investigated Chelsea’s complaint, but he was the fourth official for Sunday’s game between Tottenham and West Ham and finally got back on the pitch yesterday.

He was given a standing ovation by Southampton fans before kick-off and enjoyed a relatively quiet return to action, although Norwich fans will be frustrated that he missed a possible handball in the build-up to Saints’ opener. Instead it was

LONDON: Chelsea’s Oscar (left) competes with Fulham’s Steve Sidwell during their English Premier League soccer match at Stamford Bridge.—AP Ryan Bertrand replacing Juan Mata as one of three offensive midfielders.

The inclusion of Bertrand-best known as a left-back-followed on from the manager’s pre-match admission his first priority was to strengthen the team’s defensive foundations.

Unfortunately for the former Liverpool manager, Chelsea were much less convincing going forward. An uninspiring start to the game did little to rouse a subdued home crowd who saved their loudest voices for the chant of “only one di Matteo” in the 16th minute, a tribute to Benitez’s predecessor who wore the number 16 shirt during his playing days at the club.

Chelsea’s attacking play was ponderous and it was telling their best chance of the opening half

came when Branislav Ivanovic broke speedily from defence and the ball found its way to Cesar Azpilicueta on the right via Eden Hazard. The right back’s low cross found Torres who turned and shot but his effort lacked venom and was directed straight at Mark Schwarzer.

There was a smattering of boos from the home supporters at half-time and it was clear Chelsea would have to move through the gears if they were to spark life into the game.

They started the second period with more conviction although their best work was done on the fringes of the Fulham penalty area. Instead it was the visitors who created the better chances with Berbatov at the heart of Fulham’s best moves.

The Bulgarian was narrowly

adjudged to be offside when he was sent clear on Petr Cech’s goal. But an even clearer opportunity came Fulham’s way moments later when Giorgios Karagounis picked out John Arne Riise run beyond Luiz only for the left-back to direct a tame shot straight at the Chelsea keeper from inside the area.

Cech was the busier of the keepers, saving well from Karagounis, Chris Baird and a much better effort from Riise as Berbatov continued to out-wit the Chelsea centre-backs and holding midfielders. Benitez introduced Mata for Bertrand in a bid to inject more creativity into the Chelsea attack but apart from a half-chance to Ramires and a mis-directed header from Ivanovic, they continued to offer only a limited threat.—AFP

Bale inspires Spurs to end Liverpool revival Tottenham 2

Liverpool 1

EPL results/standings

English Premier League table after yesterday’s goals against, points): Man Utd 14 11 0 3 3 18 33 Man City 14 9 5 0 27 10 32 Chelsea 14 7 5 2 24 13 26 West Brom 14 8 2 4 24 18 26 Tottenham 14 7 2 5 25 23 23 Everton 14 5 7 2 24 18 22 Arsenal 14 5 6 3 24 14 21 Swansea 14 5 5 4 21 17 20 Stoke 14 4 7 3 13 12 19 West Ham 14 5 4 5 16 16 19

LONDON: Rafael Benitez was still searching for his first win since his controversial appointment as Chelsea manager after they were held to a goalless draw by Fulham in a west London derby at Stamford Bridge.

Yesterday saw Benitez largely spared the hostile reception he received during his first game in charge against Premier League champions Manchester City-also a scoreless draw-four days previously.

But this was hardly a performance to win over those supporters who opposed the Spaniard’s appointment as Roberto di Matteo’s successor. The final whistle was greeted with boos from the home supporters and with Chelsea now without a win in six Premier League games, Benitez must find a way to help the European champions recover their cutting edge if he is to revive the club’s domestic title ambitions.

Fernando Torres suffered another frustrating night that was summed up when a second-half volley was cleared off the line and the Spaniard has now gone almost 11 hours without a league goal.

Fulham-who have also now gone six league games without a win-could claim to have created the better chances while Dimitar Berbatov was the game’s outstanding player.

Benitez made two changes from the side the drew with Manchester City with Oriol Romeu coming in for John Obi Mikel and, more significantly,

Gazzaniga, Southampton’s 20-year-old Argentinian keeper, who found himself at the centre of unwanted attention.

Rickie Lambert had given Southampton the lead midway through the first half, but Gazzaniga allowed a Robert Snodgrass free-kick to squirm through his grasp and into the net on the stroke of half-time.

With Southampton unable to find a winner, the hosts slipped back into the relegation zone, while Norwich sit four points above the bottom three in 13th position.

Coming into the game Clattenburg was under no illusions to the level of interest in his return, with cameras following him into the dressing room and out for the warmup. As the focus turned to the match, Snodgrass stung the palms of Gazzaniga inside four minutes. Saints took the lead in the 32nd minute when Adam Lallana’s free-kick bounced off Lambert’s arm onto Grant Holt before falling kindly for the Saints striker to poke home.

However, Norwich equalised just before half-time after Nathaniel Clyne chopped down Snodgrass on the edge of the penalty area. Former Leeds midfielder Snodgrass took the set piece himself and curled in a low strike that Gazzaniga should have saved at his near post. Gazzaniga redeemed himself to keep out a Holt header in the second half, while Saints winger Jason Puncheon forced Mark Bunn into a smart save at the other end.—AFP

LONDON: Gareth Bale inspired Tottenham to a 2-1 win over Liverpool at White Hart Lane yesterday that lifted his side up to fifth place in the Premier League and ended the Reds’ recent revival.

Wales winger Bale set up the opening goal for Aaron Lennon with a surging run and cross early in the first half and then beat Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina with a deflected strike to double Tottenham’s lead.

Bale was less fortunate in the second half when he scored an own goal after Lennon blasted a clearance into his face that rebounded into the net, but Tottenham survived a late burst of Liverpool pressure to secure their second win in the space of four days.

Liverpool’s defeat was their first in eight league games and left Brendan Rodgers’ team in 12th place Bale was in the mood right from the start and his free-kick was parried away by Reina and the rebound almost allowed Jermain Defoe to nip in. Defoe then ran at the Liverpool defence before setting Bale up for a drive across goal that was only just wide.

A goal was coming and Liverpool were unable to stop Bale’s surge down the left that saw him beat four challengers before crossing to Lennon, who was perfectly placed to slot home at the back post.

Liverpool’s top scorer Luis Suarez almost cancelled out that seventh-minute opener with a low drive, but Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was able to parry and his defenders did the rest. Jordan Henderson, the Liverpool midfielder, should have equalised in the 14th minute after Defoe was caught in possession and Suarez sent Jose Enrique through down the middle. Kyle Walker managed to nick the ball off

LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur’s Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen (right) vies with Liverpool’s Jamaican-English midfielder Raheem Sterling during the English Premier League football match.—AFP Enrique but succeeded only in taking it away from the on-rushing Lloris and into Henderson’s path. Walker’s challenge was just enough to put him off however and the shot went wide.

Liverpool had only two minutes to wait for confirmation of just how costly that miss would be as Bale made it 2-0 direct from a free-kick which Reina will not want to see replayed any time soon.

Bale’s shot deflected off Henderson’s head in the wall on it’s way towards the middle of the Liverpool goal, which Reina had unwisely vacated, and had enough swerve to bamboozle the goalkeeper. Liverpool came close to a reply when Walker kicked the ball off the line to deny Suarez.

The home side survived until half-time with

their lead intact, but were soon back under pressure in the second period, with a Michael Dawson error setting up a chance for Enrique that he spoiled with a misplaced header.

Liverpool were back in the game with 20 minutes remaining when Lennon blasted the ball off Bale’s face into his own net after Steven Gerrard had headed goalwards. Bale was then booked for diving before Suarez saw one shot deflected wide and another fly over the bar as Liverpool pressed for an equaliser.

Suarez volleyed over after Daniel Agger had hooked the ball over his head and there was a strong appeal for a penalty when the Uruguay striker went down under a William Gallas challenge but referee Phil Dowd waved play on.—AFP

Stoke late show sink Newcastle Stoke 2

Newcastle 1

STOKE: Stoke left it late, scoring two goals inside the final nine

minutes, as they came from behind to beat Newcastle 2-1 in the Premier League at the Britannia Stadium yesterday.

Jonathan Walters and Cameron Jerome’s goals secured Stoke’s third consecutive home Premier League victory but this result meant Newcastle had suffered a fourth straight defeat, with the Magpies now just two points

above the relegation zone.

Alan Pardew’s men were on course for their first away league win on the season when Papiss Cisse broke the deadlock in the 47th minute when he was quickest to react after Asmir Begovic spilt Demba Ba’s shot and scored his fourth goal of the season.

Cisse might have made it two in the 63rd minute but Begovic

pushed away his shot, while at the other end Newcastle’s Dutch goalkeeper Tim Krul could not hold Walters’ stinging effort and the striker blazed the loose ball well over the bar.

Stoke though were far from finished, with Walters heading them level in the 81st minute before substitute Jerome slid a shot under Krul for the winner.—AFP

New Zealand close in on historic win in Sri Lanka

16

Bin Hammam and AFC future on the line in KL

17

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

Fulham deny Benitez a first Chelsea goal

Page 19

OLD TRAFFORD: Manchester United’s English striker Wayne Rooney (left) shoots during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and West Ham United.—AFP

Van Persie keeps United on top Man United 1

West Ham 0 MANCHESTER: Robin van Persie’s ninth league goal of the season kept Manchester United one point clear at the top of the Premier League as Alex Ferguson’s side beat West Ham 1-0 at Old Trafford yesterday.

United’s £24 million ($39 million) preseason signing scored inside the opening minute, his 12th goal in all competitions

this season, to continue an impressive start to his career with the club.

Having fallen behind 13 times already this season, United were acutely conscious of the importance of taking the lead for a change and van Persie responded with the fastest goal of the Premier League campaign in a mere 32 seconds.

Michael Carrick threaded an accurate pass through a crowded midfield to van Persie who, back to goal, took out his marker Winston Reid with a devastating flick. The Dutch international then enjoyed a large slice of fortune as his firsttime shot deflected off James Collins and looping over luckless goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen.

If the shot was fortunate, van Persie

had earned it with that sublime piece of build-up skill but if United thought the outcome was secured by that early lead, they were in for a rude awakening.

West Ham responded with Kevin Nolan audaciously back-heeling a Matt Taylor free-kick into Anders Lindegaard’s side-netting while a dangerous cross from Matt Jarvis forced the United goalkeeper into a desperate clearing punch.

Collins almost made amends for his role in the United goal when he came within a whisker of diverting a long shot

by Taylor past Lindegaard, who dived to smother the attempt.

Andy Carroll would also squander a promising opportunity to equalise, volleying well wide from just seven yards out

after United’s defence had done a poor job of dealing with a routine long ball into their area. Mohamed Diame won a corner in the opening minute of the second half before the game settled into a period of United control, started by van Persie guiding a Rooney header into the path of Tom Cleverley whose crisp, first-time shot sailed just over from 16 yards.

Rooney, van Persie, at a 20-yard freekick, and Carrick all sent rather hopeful long-distance shots towards the Hammers’ goal as the pressure mounted.

Just before the hour, Rooney, becoming increasingly influential in his by-now customary, deeper role, unleashed a superb strike from the edge of the area which Jaaskelainen turned around his post and,

from the resulting corner, only desperate, bodies on the line, defending from the Hammers managed to clear a near-post scramble.

A Rafael cross was met by Hernandez with a reflex flick of the boot that sent the ball inches wide and Ferguson brought on Ashley Young in the hope of adding attacking threat.

The tactic had the desired effect, Young offering far more in the final third than the man he replaced, Cleverley. But still, this was not a vintage display of finishing from United.

Rooney placed a 69th minute shot well over while Anderson fared better from 18 yards but saw Jaaskelainen deal impressively with a viciously swerving shot.

QPR grab point on Redknapp debut

Man City give Mancini present of Wigan win Wigan 0

Man City 2

WIGAN: Manchester City gave manager Roberto Mancini a belated birthday present yesterday as they won 2-0 away to Wigan to maintain the defence of their Premier League title.

Second-half goals from Mario Balotelli and James Milner ensured Mancini, 48 on Tuesday, kept the pressure on neighbours and leaders Manchester United, the visitors at Eastlands on December 9.

Wigan were at least their equals until then, but have now gone six games against City without scoring after looking for a long time as if they would earn the draw.

As it was, City’s win left the champions just a point behind United. Franco di Santo launched Wigan on the offensive from the start, feeding Arouna Kone to fire in a shot that Joe Hart saved only at the second attempt.

Then Jordi Gomez, Wigan’s hat-trick star against Reading, played Jean Beausejour in on the left for a cross just too deep to really worry Hart. At the other end, City striker Sergio Aguero cut in and had alarm bells ringing only for his

fierce shot to billow the side-netting.

Maynor Figueroa did well to eliminate the next scare after Aguero cleverly worked a half-chance for Zabaleta after a bout of neat passing opened up Wigan.

City suffered a scare of a different kind when a di Santo cross caught Maicon in the throat from close range and the defender collapsed.

His frantic signals brought the medical team sprinting out but thankfully they were soon able to have the shaken Brazilian back on his feet. Wigan were ever prepared to take the game to the champions and City skipper Vincent Kompany was relieved to block Beausejour’s shot.

Aguero, whose goals shot City to the title last season, still hadn’t adjusted his sights when he smacked a speculative effort wide from outside the box. But Adrian Lopez had to come up with a crucial penalty-area tackle after Figueroa’s miscued header left Aguero to race away for the kind of one-on-one with Ali Al Habsi he thrives on.

But before the Argentine could pull the trigger, Lopez sprinted across to put in a perfect challenge that earned a hearty slap on the back from his keeper.

Wigan fans have not always appreciated Gomez’s skills, much to manager Roberto Martinez’s disappointment, but he’s grown on them since hitting his weekend hat-trick.

After Aguero sent him tumbling from

There was the occasional warning for United-the ball just would not come down for Taylor as he attempted to line up a shot in a dangerous position after 70 minutes-but the traffic continued in one direction only.

And it required a fine block by Gary Demel to deny what surely would have been a second goal for van Persie after 75 minutes. It was United’s night though and the point was underlined after 82 minutes.

Hammers substitute Carlton Cole shot on the turn from six yards but Lindegaard made a superb stop before enjoying the sight of Modibo Maiga being flagged for offside as he waited to pounce on the loose ball.—AFP

WIGAN: Manchester City’s Mario Balotelli scores his side’s opening goal against Wigan during the Barclays Premier League match.—AP

behind, Gomez dusted himself off to curl the 30-yard free kick inches over the angle with Hart beaten. City have yet to hit the heights of last season, and again the players who they look to make things happen, like David Silva and Yaya Toure, were subdued. They might even have gone in at half-time trailing after Gomez ended up on the penalty area turf under challenge from the harr ying Pablo Zabaleta.

TV replays showed contact but the Wigan player probably went down a little too easily-referee Mark Halsey was certainly not convinced. A minute later Gomez became the first booking of the night after a clumsy lunge at Gareth

Barry on the touchline.

Balotelli had not enjoyed a productive match, and when Maicon did launch a superb cross from the left to find the Italian at the far post, his header was poor. But the controversial striker was in the right place after 69 minutes when Barry’s fierce shot was spilled by Al Habsi and, after his first effort was blocked by the keeper, Balotelli firmly dispatched the second.

Two minutes later City were virtually home and dry as substitute James Milner-on for the lacklustre Aguero-was set up by Barry just outside the area and hit an unstoppable curling shot past Al Habsi.—AFP

SUNDERLAND: Robert Green helped ensure Harry Redknapp’s first Sunderland 0 match as Queens Park Rangers manager started with a point followQPR 0 ing a goalless draw away to Sunderland on Tuesday.

But the result meant QPR remained bottom of the table, having yet to win their first league match of the season in what is now 14 games in the top flight this term.

And with Aston Villa defeating Reading, Tuesday’s results left QPR-who last week saw their Malaysian owner Tony Fernandes sack Mark Hughes as their managereight points adrift of safety.

However, their plight could have been even worse but for the performance of former England goalkeeper Green. On as a second half substitute for the injured Julio Cesar, Green somehow clawed away Steven Fletcher’s goalbound header in the 64th minute.

Cesar himself had made a first half block to deny Scotland international Fletcher but the game was far from one-way traffic and, having performed rescue acts in helping Portsmouth and Tottenham stay in the Premier League after poor starts, Redknapp may fancy his chances of another salvage operation.

Rangers saw former Sunderland striker Djibril Cisse denied by home goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, who also saved well from Jamie Mackie, at the Stadium of Light.

And had Stephane Mbia’s long-range effort been a touch more accurate, the west London club could have been celebrating that longed-for first league win of the season.—AFP

Growth prospects fuel Gulf banks’ capital-raising push Page 22

Business

Wataniya Telecom posts KD 62.9m net profit for nine months 2012

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

Page 23

As Turkish economy booms, deep inequality persists

HSBC economist bullish on Gulf growth

Page 24

Page 25

DUBAI: An Emirati man examines a graphic city map of Dubai, depicting new real estate developments, during an exhibition entitled Cityscape exhibition in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It suddenly seems like Dubai is rediscovering its old habits. — AP

High-flying Dubai managers back in charge Dubai ruler turns to small group to lead recovery DUBAI: When Dubai’s ruler unveiled plans last week to build a complex housing 100 hotels and the world’s biggest shopping mall, the scale of his ambitions recalled the emirate’s boom half a decade ago. So did his choice of executives to lead the project. Mohammed Alabbar, builder of the world’s tallest tower, signed documents related to the project in his role as chairman of Emaar Properties, Dubai’s top real estate firm.

Sitting next to him was Mohammed Al-Gergawi, chairman of Dubai Holding, a conglomerate owned by the ruler.

Gergawi played a central role in setting up districts housing Dubai’s financial, media and information technology industries. The businesses of both men suffered when Dubai’s corporate debt crisis erupted in 2009, and they adopted lower profiles over the next three years as the government relied on a different set of managers to handle the financial disaster.

But last week’s announcement of the multi-billion dollar mall project, which is to include a park larger than London’s Hyde Park and an entertainment centre developed with Hollywood’s Universal Studios, suggests Alabbar, Gergawi and other high-flying managers who built Dubai are again shaping the agenda. “Emaar and Dubai Holding are leading the charge. That signals a rehabilitation of two of the Dubai ruler’s three former lieutenants who were discredited in the crash,” said Jim Krane, author of the book “City of Gold: Dubai and the Dream of Capitalism”. “The return to the fold of these two men, who were iced out during the long recession, could portend a shift away from the conservative minds called in in 2009 to stabilize the city.”

Core group Alabbar and Gergawi belong to a group of executives, roughly a dozen men, chosen by Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum about a decade ago to develop the emirate. Most were born in the United Arab Emirates; many were educated at top universities in the United States or Europe. Some are members of old merchant families which have traded around the Gulf for decades, but others are first-generation entrants to the world of big business.

Placed in charge of Dubai’s strategic state-linked companies in areas including real estate, ports and banking, they favored projects which burnished Dubai’s reputation as an international business and travel hub: the world’s tallest skyscraper, an archipelago of man-made islands in the shape of a palm, an indoor ski slope at a shopping mall. “I’m frustrated with bureaucracy, I’m frustrated with negative minds and negative thinking because I’m a gogetter; I’m going places all my life,” Abbar, in his mid-50s, told Arabian Business magazine in a rare interview last year.

He compared Emaar to a phoenix and said the company was on the brink of a resurgence from the crisis.

Gergawi, 49, got his big break when he launched an office district on the outskirts of Dubai, persuading a foreign bank to lend him $55 million, according to a person close to him. That project brought him closer to Sheikh Mohammed. Until the global credit crisis burst Dubai’s property bubble in 2008, Alabbar, Gergawi and their fellow executives succeeded handsomely; the territory with

UAE buys into BP’s UK fields as relations improve ABU DHABI: Abu Dhabi National Energy Co (TAQA) will buy a number of BP’s North Sea assets for over $1.3 billion in a sign relations between Britain and the Gulf emirate are on the mend. The deal comes weeks after a visit by Prime Minister David Cameron to the emirate amid reports BP was set to lose its major role in the oil sector of the United Arab Emirates because of strained relations between the two countries. The sale suggests BP could still win back its positions in the UAE, where the oil giant played a big role from the start of the oil industry in the early 1930s.

For TAQA, the deal is important as it boosts access to North Sea production, home to the global oil benchmark Brent. Companies gain valuable insight into oil pricing patterns when they operate in North Sea fields. “This is a vote of confidence in the UK economy and once again, highlights the North Sea’s position as a global energy hub,” Cameron was quoted in a TAQA statement as saying. TAQA said the deal followed a constructive dialogue between the oil and gas industry and the UK Treasury, resulting in changes to the tax treatment of North Sea assets. TAQA, owned 75 percent by the Abu Dhabi government, is the largest investor from the United Arab Emirates in Britain, having invested over $3 billion in four years.

BP, which needs cash for repayments as part of the settlement for its US Macondo oil spill, said the TAQA deal brings its asset divestment program close to the targeted $38 billion as it has now entered into deals to sell assets worth around $37 billion. BP said the sale will generate $1.058 billion plus future payments which, dependent on oil price and production, are expected to exceed $250 million.

BP will sell TAQA its interests in the Harding (70 percent), Maclure (37.03 percent), and Devenick (88.7 percent) fields in the Central North Sea. TAQA will also increase its non-operated interests in the Brae area and associated transport infrastructure including the SAGE system, Forties-Brae and Forties-Braemar pipelines. On completion, the acquisition is expected to increase TAQA’s net production by approximately 21,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day from the current 40,000 boepd. The deal will add 91 million boe to TAQA’s reserves and add a second major development hub to TAQA’s North Sea business, which is currently centred around the Northern sector. TAQA’s UK portfolio consists of the Brae Area assets, Beinn and Braemar fields, as well as the SAGE pipeline and onshore terminal, and the Brae-Miller Linkline. It has 100 percent operated equity in the Tern, Kestrel, Eider, Cormorant North, South Cormorant, Falcon and Pelican Fields.

It has a combined 26.73 percent interest in the Dana-operated Hudson field and a 24 percent interest in the Sullom Voe Terminal. TAQA also operates the Brent Pipeline System. “This investment shows our commitment to the future of the North Sea. It is underpinned by the UK Government’s commitment to long term fiscal stability,” said Hamad Al Hurr Al Suwaidi, chairman of TAQA. TAQA, which has investments in the energy and power sector from India to the Middle East and Canada, aims to spend around $2 billion per year on capital investments.But it plans to cut spending in North America by 30 percent next year to weather a downturn in commodity prices, its chief executive said earlier this month after reporting a

a population of about 2 million built one of the world’s busiest airports, the biggest seaport in the Middle East, and the Gulf’s main financial centre.

But Dubai’s fall from grace was almost as spectacular as its rise. Real estate prices tumbled over 60 percent in the three years from 2008, obliging Dubai Holding, Dubai World and other state-linked firms to restructure billions of dollars of debt. Dubai also got a last-minute $10 billion bailout from neighboring Abu Dhabi to avoid a bond default by palm islands developer Nakheel, and the emirate still faces a wall of debt repayments with an estimated $50 billion in liabilities due between 2014 and 2016.

The crash clipped the wings of many top executives; Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the third business lieutenant identified by Krane, was removed from the helm of Dubai World in 2010 and now chairs port operator DP World.

Sheikh Mohammed turned to two people in particular to repair the damage. One was his uncle, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, head of the committee overseeing Dubai’s financial support fund and chairman of Emirates airline and the Emirates NBD bank.

The other was Mohammed Al-Shaibani, who is chief executive at Investment Corp of Dubai, which owns some of the emirate’s top corporate assets, and director-general of the Ruler’s Court, which supervises and coordinates government departments. Shaibani helped to orchestrate debt refinancing negotiations with international creditors and also commanded a war on corruption in state-linked entities, which resulted in a wave of management reshuffles and mergers at state-linked firms.

Recovery Now Dubai seems to have repaired most of the damage. While state-linked firms still have plenty of debt, most have succeeded in pushing maturities into the future; property prices have begun recovering and the economy is again growing strongly. That is an environment in which executives such as Alabbar and Gergawi can pursue their ambitions, as Sheikh Mohammed made clear in a speech announcing the mall project. “The current facilities available in Dubai need to be scaled up in line with the future ambitions for the city,” he said. There are signs, however, that Dubai’s next boom may be managed a little more cautiously than the last. “The ambition is back but this time I’m confident it’s going to be more pragmatic and better managed,” said a person familiar with Dubai’s inner circles, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue. “Everyone’s learned the lessons.”

Projects announced by Sheikh Mohammed this month will rely on the retail and entertainment spending of tourists from around the Gulf, India and elsewhere, rather than Dubai’s fickle real estate market, which was the focus of the last boom. Khalaf Ahmad Al-Habtoor, founder and chairman of the Al Habtoor Group and one of the band of top Dubai executives, said the emirate had learned from its experience and was now able to handle its debt better than many Western countries. “Nobody in the world succeeds or becomes a pioneer unless he makes mistakes. It’s a price that we sometimes have to pay,” Habtoor told Reuters. “Yes, Dubai has debt...but

Egypt tumbles as investors exit; Saudi recovers losses MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS DUBAI: Selling pressure on Egypt’s bourse dragged the benchmark index to a fresh four-month low as institutional investors looked for an exit following nationwide protests, while Saudi Arabia’s market recovered from a 10-month low.

Tens of thousands of Egyptians rallied on Tuesday against Morsi in one of the biggest outpourings of protest since Hosni Mubarak’s overthrow, accusing the Islamist leader of seeking to impose a new era of autocracy.

Clashes between Morsi’s opponents and supporters erupted in a city north of Cairo, spurring worries of a worsening political crisis. “Institutional investors want to realize their gains they made throughout the year-they’re looking for an exit but the low volumes are not helping,” said Mohamed Radwan of Pharos Securities. “The magnitude of the protest was not expected and hence the severe action in the market today.”

Palm Hills Development and Orascom Telecom fell 9 percent and 1.4 percent respectively, the two most actively traded

stocks on the market. Shares in Orascom Construction Industries dropped 5.4 percent. The firm reported a 31 percent drop in net income for the third quarter, citing a seasonal slowdown in the construction group’s work, and said provisioning on several projects hit margins.

The index slumped 4.6 percent to 4,815 points, its lowest close since July 30.

Wednesday’s losses trimmed year-to-date gains to 32.9 percent. Elsewhere, attractive valuations brought back buyers in Saudi Arabia’s markets as investor jitters over the king’s health eased.

The kingdom’s index rose 1.1 percent to close at 6,533 points, lifting from Tuesday’s 10-month low. Saudi Crown Prince Salman said on Tuesday that King Abdullah was “well and in good health”, more than 10 days after the monarch underwent back surgery. The message is likely to reassure many states keen on the stability of the world’s biggest oil exporter, although local retail investors dominate trade on the kingdom’s bourse.

Bluechips that were battered in recent

sessions, led the market recovery. Al-Rajhi Bank gained 0.8 percent, Samba Financial Group rose 1.8 percent and Yanbu National Petrochemical advanced 3.1 percent. “Today’s rebound is because of the sell-off we’ve seen during most of the week-some of the quality names have been trading low and looked attractive,” said Asim Bukhtiar, head of research at Riyad Capital. “There was also some relief on the king’s health.”

In Kuwait, the index slipped 0.3 percent from Tuesday’s six-week high.

Yesterday, an administrative court will look into the cases of 13 candidates disqualified from running in Saturday’s parliamentary election, local media reported.

“As the elections approach, anticipation as well as tensions have grown on the Kuwaiti streets, with many people still leading the charge on the appeal to boycotting (the vote),” said Nouf Aloqab, a trader at Global Investment House. Largecaps are mixed, with National Bank of Kuwait slipping 1 percent and telcom operator Zain up 1.2 percent. — Reuters

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

BUSINESS

Global Finance names NBK best foreign exchange provider in ME KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) was recognized as the Best Foreign Exchange Provider in Kuwait and the Middle East 2013 in an exclusive survey compiled by the world renowned financial magazine Global Finance. NBK is enlisted among the World’s Best Foreign Exchange Providers along with major international financial institutions such as Citi, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, Societe General, DBS, and Standard Bank. The rankings, compiled by international finance magazine, Global Finance, are based on input from industry analysts, corporate executives and technology experts.

Criteria for choosing the winners included transaction

volume, market share, scope of global coverage, customer service, competitive pricing and innovative technologies.

For the sixth consecutive time, NBK has been listed among the 50 safest banks in the world for 2012. NBK ranked 34 on the list, illustrating the success of the bank’s conservative strategy, prudent risk management and dedication to service excellence.

NBK has consistently been awarded the highest credit ratings of all banks in the region by the major international rating agencies: Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings.

World’s Best Foreign Exchange Providers 2013 by Global Finance Middle East

Asia-Pacific

Nordic countries

National Bank of Kuwait

HSBC

SEB

North America

Central and Eastern Europe

Africa

Citi

Societe General

Standard Bank

Western Europe

Southeast Asia

Latin America

Deutsche Bank

DBS

Citi

Growth prospects fuel Gulf banks’ capital-raising push Hybrid bonds are proving convenient instruments

MANILA: Employees work at a construction site in Manila yesterday. The Philippines said yesterday that the economy expanded a better-than-expected 7.1 percent year on year in the three months to September on the back of a robust services sector. — AFP

Lukoil joins rush to export Kurdish oil LONDON/BAGHDAD: Lukoil has bought oil from Kurdistan, defying Iraq’s ban on trade with its independent-minded region, but the Moscow firm has so far avoided the wrath of Baghdad, which hopes Russians may step in to tap its big fields further south as Westerners bail out.

Exporting oil independently of the central government is the latest of many defiant moves by the Kurdish regional government, which also signed deals with oil majors like ExxonMobil of the United States to develop its resources.

Baghdad has long insisted it has the sole right to export oil. It considers any other business illegal and tantamount to smuggling by the ethnic Kurds in northern Iraq.

Yet Lukoil’s Geneva-based trading arm Litasco has become the third company to buy Kurdish condensate, or very light oil, five industry sources told Reuters - following in the footsteps of two of the world’s largest trading houses, Trafigura and Vitol.

Those earlier deals, in October, provoked an angry response from the Iraqi central government, which said it had the right to “legally pursue all those who participate in smuggling”.

But this time round, Baghdad seems to be turning a blind eye. “After checking with concerned parties, we got confirmation that LUKOIL has not purchased any kind of crude for the benefit of the KRG,” said an official from Iraq’s state oil marketer SOMO, referring to the Kurdish Regional Government.

Iraqi government officials declined to comment. Industry sources told Reuters that Litasco had chartered the tanker Cielo di Napoli to load around 19,000 tons of the Kurdish condensate from the port of Toros at Ceyhan in Turkey. The tanker sailed on Nov

21. LUKOIL, Russia’s No. 2 oil producer, declined to comment. A spokeswoman for Litasco did not comment on the deal. She said the company “consistently endeavors to meet obligations towards its partners which are strictly in line with all the obligations and commitments of the whole group”.

The condensate was bought via the intermediary Powertrans in a public tender, traders and industry sources said, similar to the procedure Vitol and Trafigura used to buy supplies. Litasco won the tender at a $3.00 discount to naphtha prices, beating competing bids from Trafigura and Socar, one participant said.

Iraq considerably depends on Vitol and Trafigura for its fuel imports, but there is much more at stake in the Lukoil case as the company is one of the biggest investors in the country.

Baghdad has said it would like to see Russian and Chinese companies taking over from Exxon, which wants to pull out from southern Iraq’s $50-billion West Qurna 1 project as it prefers contract terms available in Kurdistan.

“It’s difficult for oil companies to resist the temptation of contracts offered by the Kurds, which represent a prize compared to Baghdad’s tough terms,” said Ali Shallal, an Iraqi oil analyst and legal expert.

“If Lukoil is targeting Kurdish oil, then now is the best time. Especially since it is favoured by Baghdad to fill the gap left by ExxonMobil,” said Shallal, who specializes in drafting oil contracts. Lukoil plans to invest around $25 billion through a 20-year deal to develop the giant neighboring West Qurna2 deposit and has said it would be difficult for the company to commit itself to another huge project. — Reuters

DUBAI: As banks in much of the rest of the world struggle to shore up balance sheets ravaged by weak economies, banks in the Gulf are sucking in capital for a very different reason: to fund expansion plans. The contrast means the Gulf banks are likely to be able to raise money cheaply and relatively easily, helping them compete as they move into markets overseas and challenge some of the big international institutions. “Our growth rates have been phenomenal in the last few years and because of that growth, we needed to refuel after a certain stage,” Tirad Mahmoud, chief executive of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), told Reuters after his bank raised $1 billion of capital this month.

Loan growth across the banking sectors of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman is especially strong, posting double-digit rates this year; in Qatar, bank lending grew 32 percent from a year ago in September, central bank data shows. It is primarily this dramatic expansion of lending not bad loans, or the need to meet new Basel III capital standards which will be introduced across the world starting next year - that is forcing Gulf banks to raise money.

Ratios of capital to assets at banks in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) - Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman - are already high, especially compared to European lenders. In the UAE, for example, the average ratio for both Tier 1 and Tier 2 capital combined - in other words, core and supplementary capital - is 20.5 percent, central bank governor Sultan Nasser Al-Suwaidi said this month. “Some banks in Europe would do anything for a double-digit capital ratio right now,” said Klaus Froehlich, head of investment banking for the Middle East and North Africa at Morgan Stanley.

Several Gulf banks have announced plans to boost their capital ratios and others are expected to follow suit in coming months. “There are large opportunities for growth, but you need to look at how you are funding this growth so some will need to be funded by capital,” said Madhukar Shenoy, financial services partner at conultants PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Sukuk Some European banks are having to pay through the nose to raise capital. Spain’s Banco Popular, whose 2.5 billion euro ($3.23 billion) rights issue was due to end on Nov 28, sold shares at a 64 percent discount to their market value on the day before the price was announced. Gulf banks have largely stayed away from raising capital in stock markets, which have not yet recovered from the global financial crisis that began several years ago.

Instead, they have focused on issuing debt or debt-like instruments that have attracted solid demand from investors.

National Bank of Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s largest bank by market value, and Saudi Hollandi Bank, the kingdom’s eighth-largest listed lender, printed subordinated deals in November which boosted Tier 2 capital. A ground-breaking $1 billion Tier 1 hybrid sukuk from ADIB, sold in early November, opened the way for banks to use Islamic bonds to

boost core capital. The sukuk was described as “hybrid” because it had equity-like characteristics; it was perpetual, meaning it had no maturity date.

The sukuk attracted about $15 billion of investor bids, a massive oversubscription, and ADIB was able to price it at a 6.375 percent profit rate, raising money very cheaply compared to conventional hybrid bonds issued by Western banks over the past year. The sukuk’s price has continued to rise in the secondary market since issue, showing very strong investor demand for it. In addition to boosting core capital, hybrid instruments can help to diversify a bank’s stakeholder base, in a region where ownership has traditionally been dominated by local parties.

“Prior to the new issue, ADIB’s Tier 1 base was 100 percent UAE investors, so it’s the first time they are raising growth capital from outside the country,” said Christoph Paul, head of regional debt capital markets business at Morgan Stanley and one of the bankers who worked on the deal.

Timucin Engin, a Dubai-based banking analyst for credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s, said: “In an environment where stock market conditions are not necessarily very accommodative, and the fixed income pricing is conducive, issuances of this type of hybrid instruments could be interesting for some banks.”

Depositary receipts Another capital-raising method which has the benefit of diversifying the shareholder base away from local investors is depositary receipts (DRs) - certificates which represent shares in a bank but which are listed on a foreign stock exchange. Doha Bank, Qatar’s fifth-largest listed lender, is eyeing an issue of DRs in London as part of a planned $1.6 billion capital increase.

It is a tool that has been used by other Gulf financial institutions but with mixed success. A

key factor, said Peter Gotke, head of DR business in the GCC at BNY Mellon in Dubai, is the quality of engagement with investors. “For a DR to be successful and liquid, it is not good enough to put it in place and walk away. It needs to have a dynamic investor relations program behind it and the support of senior management to succeed.” For many Gulf banks, in particular the smaller ones, plentiful pools of money available locally at a time of high oil prices will be enough to complete capital-raising plans.

The board of Kuwait Finance House, the largest Islamic bank in the state, has recommended a 20 percent capital hike to shareholders and Ahli Bank, Qatar’s seventh-largest listed bank by market value, said in September it would boost its capital by the same percentage.

For banks in the UAE, one other factor that will influence thinking on capital levels is the Tier 2 subordinated bonds which the country’s central bank bought from them at the height of Dubai’s debt crisis several years ago to shore up the system. These seven-year instruments have an amortising structure which has already begun to undermine the value of the bonds as capital for the banks, said Morgan Stanley’s Paul.

“While you are paying 100 percent of the coupon, banks are losing 20 percent of the capital benefit per year until maturity. Hence at some stage banks may want to consider replacing this capital.” Some have begun to address the issue; NBAD repaid 1 billion dirhams ($272 million) in August. “They are winding down at the moment and we will look at how we replace the Tier 2 portion of the capital,” Rick Pudner, chief executive of Emirates NBD, Dubai’s biggest bank said. “But you’ve got Basel III coming up which makes Tier 2 a little bit less valuable than it used to be, so the question becomes, do you want to replace the Tier 2 or do something like ADIB did.”— Reuters

Libya still in race to buy stricken French refinery PARIS: Libya has not withdrawn its bid to buy France’s troubled Petit-Couronne oil refinery, the French government and the Libyan sovereign fund said yesterday, dispelling contradictory comments on the bid by the authorities in Paris. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on France Inter radio early yesterday that Libya was no longer interested in buying the refinery owned by insolvent Swiss refiner Petroplus. Reacting to Fabius’s comments, Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg told Reuters this was not true. “The Libyans have signed a confidentiality agreement yesterday,” Montebourg said at an energy conference. “This does not mean they will buy but they are studying (the purchase),” he added.

The French Prime Minister’s office confirmed to Reuters a confidentiality agreement had been signed with the Libyan fund. “The minister has received a letter of intent from the Libyan fund and received yesterday some additional information. He is doing checks today on the validity of these intentions and additional information,”

Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, the government spokeswoman said yesterday. The French media reported this week the Libyan Investment Authority had withdrawn its bid to take over the refinery, the oldest in France, citing a report from Libya’s LANA news agency.

The chairman of the Libyan Investment Authority, Mohsen Derregia, who told Reuters last week they had started due diligence to invest in the refinery and would send a team to France to evaluate the investment opportunity, also confirmed yesterday it was still mulling an offer. “We never said we are buying the refinery. Our team is still studying the project, they will give us the result and then we will make the decision whether to invest or not. As we said in our statement, we will only invest in projects that are a benefit for Libya,” Derregia said. Montebourg said earlier this month he had received a non-binding letter of interest from Libya’s sovereign wealth fund to buy the refinery, situated in Normandy, northern France.—Reuters

EXCHANGE Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Egyptian pounds US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian dollars Danish Kroner Swedish Kroner Australian dlr Hong Kong dlr Singapore dlr Japanese yen Indian Rs/KD Sri Lanka rupee Pakistan rupee Bangladesh taka UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi Riyal/KD Omani riyals Philippine Peso

.2750000 .4480000 .3620000 .3010000 .2810000 .2920000 .0040000 .0020000 .0762570 .7429510 .3880000 .0720000 .7283310 .0430000 CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2809000 .4504510 .3648330 .3028730 .2829090 .0489170 .0425950 .2944960 .0362450 .2299820 .0034180 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0765080 .7453890 .0000000 .0749270 .7298950 .0000000

.2850000 .4600000 .3670000 .3080000 .2910000 .3000000 .0067500 .0035000 .0770240 .7504180 .4070000 .0770000 .7356510 .0510000 .2830000 .4538190 .3675600 .3051380 .2850240 .0492830 .0429130 .2966970 .0365160 .2317010 .0034440 .0051090 .0021800 .0029550 .0034980 .0770800 .7509620 .4002830 .0754870 .7353510 .0069640

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. Currency US Dollar Pak Rupees

Rate per 1000 (Tran) 282.100 2.936

Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Yemeni Riyal Euro Canadian Dollars Nepali rupee

Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

5.075 2.175 3.457 6.930 76.910 75.384 749.900 46.178 457.900 2.990 1.550 372.200 289.900 3.183

Transfer Rate (Per 1000) 281.900 367.350 453.650 285.700 3.480 5.080 46.170 2.166 3.462 6.900 2.928 750.650 76.600 75.275

UAE Exchange Centre WLL COUNTRY Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen

SELL DRAFT 299.41 288.40 308.07 368.30 281.90 455.12 3.52

3.555 5.490 2.300 3.650 3.150 77.500 749.500 47.750 399.50 732.000 77.850 75.900

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

Al Mulla Exchange Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

3.474 5.080 2.171 3.185 2.939 76.82 750.60 46.21 401.61 733.67 77.85 75.38

SELL CASH 299.000 288.000 308.000 366.50 283.150 454.800 3.690

Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

Selling Rate 282.250 284.445 452.865 365.445 304.775 747.250 76.825 77.475 75.230 397.875 46.193 2.166 5.091 2.929 3.454 6.898 692.360 4.445 9.285 4.380 3.260 92.435

Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

Bahrain Exchange Company

287.400 554.500 46.000 49.900 167.800 47.950 369.100 37.120 5.510 0.032 0.161 0.246 3.550 400.120 0.191 95.710 45.400 4.340 235.400 1.829 51.200 733.410 3.080 7.080 78.100 75.390 232.390 34.520 2.689 455.800 43.800 308.800 4.000 9.560 198.263 76.980 282.700 1.360 GOLD

10 Tola 1,841.380 COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka

SELL CASH 299.400 750.880 3.690

SELL DRAFT 296.900 750.880 3.449

Sterling Pound US Dollar

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 453.800 282.300

285.900

232.400 46.350 367.600 36.970 5.095 0.031

400.090 0.190 95.710 3.200 233.900

733.230 2.958 6.928 77.670 75.390 232.390 34.520 2.170 453.800 305.300 4.000 9.390 76.880 282.300

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

BUSINESS

KUWAIT: Extraordinary Meeting of the Wataniya Telecom General Assembly— Photos by Joseph Shagra

Wataniya Telecom posts KD 62.9 million net profit for the nine months 2012 Continued growth in customers and revenue KUWAIT: Wataniya Telecom (National Mobile Telecommunications Company KSC - Ticker: NMTC) yesterday announced its financial results for the first nine months 2012: i)

In Q1 2011 a fair value gain (non-cash) of KD 265.5 million ($944.7 million) was recorded due to a revaluation of the existing interest in Tunisiana following the increase in the shareholding from 50% to 75%. ii) Q3 and nine month period ended 2011 amortization for intangible assets resulting from the additional interest in Tunisiana was originally based on estimates. Following the completion of the purchase price allocation in Q4 2011, the amortization charge for the year 2011was lower than estimated. As a result, the previously reported Net Profits for 2011 have been re-stated. 2011 nine months period ended includes an adjustment of KD 21.3 million ($75.8 million).

• •

•

•

• •

lion) for the same period in 2011. EBITDA for nine months of 2012was KD 77.5 million ($275.7million), an increase of 24.9% on KD 62.0 million ($220.7million) for the same period in 2011.The total net profit for the first nine months of 2012 was KD 15.8 million ($56.3 million) compared to a total Net Profit of KD 11.2million ($39.7 million) for the same period in 2011. The Net

Attributable Profit to Wataniya Telecom for the nine months of 2012was KD 11.2 million ($40.0 million) compared to a Net Attributable Profit of KD 7.9 million ($28.2 million) for the same period in 2011.

Wataniya - Palestine

Total customers at end of Q3 2012 were 0.59 million, an increase of 36.7% from Q3 2011. Revenues were KD 17.5 million ($62.3 million) for nine months ending 2012 compared to KD 15.2 million ($54.0 million) for the same period 2011and increase of 15.5%. EBITDA for nine months of 2012 was KD 1.2 million ($4.3 million) which is an increase of 51.5% when compared to the EBITDA of KD 0.8 million ($2.8million) same period in 2011. The net attributable Loss for the first nine months 2012 was KD 2.3 million ($8.1 million) compared to the loss of KD 3.3 million ($11.9 million) for the same period in 2011.

Bravo - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Bravo’s customer base stood at 0.16 million at the end of Q3 2012. Revenues for the nine months of 2012 decreased to KD 13.1 million ($46.7 million) from KD 14.1 million ($50.3 million) for the same period in 2011. The total net Loss for the year to date Q3 2012 was KD 7.3 million ($25.9 million) compared to a total net loss of KD 8.1 million ($28.7 million) for the same period in 2011.

The net attributable Loss to Wataniya Telecom for the first nine months of 2012 was KD 6.6 million ($23.4 million), compared to a net attributable Loss of KD 4.5 million ($16.0 million) for the same period in 2011.

Operational Highlights Total customer base increased to 18.8 million at the close of Q3 2012, versus 17.4 million at the same period in 2011, leading to growth of 8.5%.

Revenues for first nine months of 2012 amounted to KD 559.1 million ($2.0 billion), compared with KD 540.2 million ($1.9 billion) for the same period in 2011, amounting to growth of 3.5%.

EBITDA for the first nine months of 2012 was KD 231.3 million ($822.8 million), compared to EBITDA of KD 234.8 million ($835.6 million) for the same period in 2011, a decrease of1.5%.

The consolidated net profit stood at KD 62.9 million ($223.9 million), compared to net profit for the same period in 2011 of KD 345.0 million ($1.2billion). Net profit for Q3 2011 includes a fair value gain of KD 265.5 million ($944.7 million) recorded due to revaluation of existing held interest in Tunisiana following the increase in the shareholding from 50% to 75%.

The net profits for 9M were adversely impacted by competitive pressure in Kuwait and foreign exchange movements in Algeria and impairment for an operation in Q3 2012.

The consolidated earnings per share was 126 fils (45 Cents), compared to688fils (USD 2.4) per share earned for the same period last year. Excluding revaluation gain the earnings per share in 9M2011 was 159fils (57cents) a decrease in 9M2012 by 20.9% compared with 9M 2011.

Wataniya - Maldives Total customers at end of Q3 2012 were 0.17million, an increase of 24.0% from the same period 2011. Revenues for the first nine months of 2012 were KD8.1 million ($28.9million) compared to KD 7.1million ($25.3 million), an increase of 14.0% over the same period in 2011. EBITDA for the nine months 2012increased 12.3% to KD 1.6 million ($5.6 million) compared to an EBITDA of 1.3 million ($4.6 million) for the same period in 2011.

The net attributable Loss for the first nine months of 2012was KD 2.0million ($7.1 million) compared to the loss of KD 2.1 million ($7.5 million) for the same period in 2011. The KD to USD conver-

Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al-Thani, Chairman of Wataniya Telecom commented: “Wataniya Telecom in 2012 has seen revenue growth of 3.5% while EBITDA has remained stable at KD 231 million. Foreign exchange movements in some of our key operations have impacted profitability, whileour domestic market continues to face competitive challenges.” He added: “Positive performances from our operations in Algeria and Palestine further demonstrated the growth potential we see across the Group and the successful strategies we are implementing. We are delighted with the launch of 3G services in Tunisia and look forward to the future rollout of fixed services as both form part of our strategy which focuses on data.”

Review of Operations The Group’s operational performance can be summarized as follows: Wataniya Kuwait’s customer base increased to 2.01 million customers at the end of Q3 2012, an increase of 3.7% on Q3 2011.

Revenues for the first nine months of 2012were KD 172.1million ($612.3 million) compared to revenues for the same period in 2011of KD 185.5 million ($660.0 million), decrease of 7.2%.

Business in nine months of 2011 benefitted from the independence anniversary and government bonus payments, which had a positive impact on revenues. EBITDA for nine months ending 2012was KD 64.8million ($230.6million) compared to EBITDA for the same period in 2011 of KD 85.5 million ($304.3million), decrease of 24.2%. Net profit was at KD 41.4 million ($147.3million), compared to Net Profit for the same period in 2011 of KD 321.1million ($1.1billion).

Net Profit for Q1 2011 includes a fair value gain of KD 265.5 million ($944.7 million) recorded due to revaluation of existing 50% held interest in Tunisiana following the increase in the shareholding from 50% to 75%. The Net Profit in Q3 2011 without the fair value gain was KD 55.5 million (USD 197.6 million).

Tunisiana - Tunisia The Tunisiana customer base at the end of Q3 2012 stood at7.06million customers: an increase of 10.2% on the same period 2011. Revenues for the first nine months ending 2012 were KD 153.2 million ($545.2 million), compared to revenues for the same period in 2011 of KD 154.5 million ($549.8million), decrease of 0.8%. EBITDA for nine months of 2012was KD 88.8 million ($316.0 million) from KD 87.3 million ($310.5million) for the same period last year representing an increase of 1.8%.

The total net profit stood at KD 42.6 million ($151.4 million) an increase of 11.3% when compared with KD 38.2 million ($136.1 million) for the same period in 2011. The Net Attributable Profit to Wataniya Telecom for the nine months 2012was KD 32.0 million ($113.8 million), compared to KD 28.7million ($102.1 million) for the same period in 2011.

Nedjma - Algeria The Nedjma customer base at the end of Q32012 was 8.86million customers, an increase of 7.5%.Revenues for the nine months ending 2012were KD195.0 million ($694.0 million), an increase of 19.1% compared with revenues of KD 163.7 million ($582.5 mil-

Extraordinary Meeting of the General Assembly Wataniya Telecom Firstly: Amending of article (16) of the Article of Association, as follows: Current text “The Company is managed by a Board of Directors composed of seven (7) members, while two of them are appointed by the Minister of Finance, and the remaining members are elected by the General Assembly, through undisclosed election, for three years periods and the member may be re-elected”.

Suggested text “The Company is managed by a Board of Directors consisting of seven (7) members; elected by the General Assembly through undisclosed election. Therefore, the duration of the Board membership is three years and the Member may be re-elected”.

Secondly: Amending article (17) of the Article Of Association, as follows: Current text The Board Member should own, either in person or represented by a legal entity, a number of, at least, 10,000 shares. Should the Member at the time of the election doesn’t own the requested number of shares, he should try his best to do so within one month of his membership, otherwise it will be void. These shares are allocated to guarantee the members’ management, and they must be deposited in a bank within one month from the date of

election; excluded from this term are the representatives of the State of Kuwait Government..These shares will continue to be deposited with the inability to be traded till the membership term expires, and the last fiscal year budget among which the member has achieved his job will be approved.

The Membership will be void if the member did not provide that guarantee. As for the first Board, Board member shares should be deposited within three months from the date of issuing the first budget of the company for at least 12 months.

Suggested text The Board Member should own, either in person or represented by a legal entity, at least, 10,000 shares, if the Member at the time of the election doesn’t have this number of shares, he must acquire them within one month of the election; otherwise his membership will be void. These shares are allocated to guarantee his effective management, and they must be deposited in a bank within one month from the date of his membership. These shares cannot be traded and will remain as a deposit and guarantee till the membership term expires. And the budget of the last fiscal year where the member did his work will be approved. The Membership will be void if the member did not provide that guarantee. As for the first Board, Board member shares should be deposited within three months from the date of issuing the first budget of the company for at least a 12month period.

Thirdly: Amending article (19) of the Article Of Association, as follows: Current text “If a vacancy occurs in the board, the replacement will be the one who has won the majority of shareholders’ voices, those who did not win the membership of the Board of Directors in the previous elections. If the vacancies reached quarter of the main positions or there was no one fitting the vacant position, the Board has to invite for a shareholders’ General Assembly within a period of two months from the date of the last vacancy, for election to fill the vacant positions.

However, if one of the appointed member position vacated in order to elect new members. In case a vacancy occurs in the board, the minister of finance will appoint a successor, however the new member will only complete the remaining period of his predecessor membership.

Suggested text “If there is a vacancy in the position of an elected Board member, the replacement will be a member who had won the majority of the shareholders’ votes, from amongst those who did not win the membership of the Board in the previous election. If the vacancies reached quarter of the main positions or there was no one fitting the vacant position criteria, the Board has to invite all the shareholders to a General Assembly within a period of two months from the date of the last vacancy, to elect new members. In all cases the new Member will only complete the remaining period of his predecessor’s membership.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

business

Stagnation haunts Osborne’s British growth gamble LONDON: British finance minister George Osborne is expected to defend his faltering austerity plan next week as the only credible way of solving the government’s biggest political problem - its failure to deliver a strong recovery. No matter how Osborne presents the sums in his Dec. 5 “Autumn statement”, he cannot hide a simple fact: the stagnating economy has played havoc with his ambitious plans to cut Britain’s debts before the next election in 2015.

In his economic statement to parliament, the Chancellor of the Exchequer may even have to predict higher borrowing this year. This would be deeply embarrassing for a man who promised the Conservative-led coalition would virtually eliminate a record budget deficit by 2015, arguing that the previous Labour government let Britain’s finances get out of control. Osborne’s supporters pin most of the blame on the euro zone debt crisis, and the International Monetary Fund says he is right to let some areas of spending rise while tackling the fundamental causes of heavy borrowing.

But his critics say austerity has disproportionately sapped demand and that he is running out of time to

fix the economy soon enough for any benefits to be felt before the election. Osborne’s Conservatives, who govern with the Liberal Democrats, need an alternative “plan B” for the economy, they say.

“If they go on as they are, they face certain defeat,” said Simon Lee, a lecturer in political economy at Hull University Hull. “The conclusive proof is that plan A is not working.”

The failure of Prime Minister David Cameron’s government to nurse the economy back to strong growth after the financial crisis has fuelled attacks from Labour, which polls show would regain power if an election were held now.

In a sign of the frustration, a handful of Conservatives have called for Osborne to be replaced before it is too late to turn the government’s fortunes around. Inheriting Britain’s biggest budget deficit since World War Two, Osborne said he had to cut borrowing sharply to ensure bond investors would continue to lend to the government and to achieve a lasting recovery. Conservative lawmaker Mark Garnier, a former fund manager who sits on a parliamentary committee scrutinising Treasury policy, urged

Osborne to hold firm. “Stick with plan A,” he said. “The key thing is to absolutely deliver the right message to the people who are financing running this government, which is the international bond market.” But weak tax receipts mean Osborne may have to admit borrowing will rise this year, which is likely to encourage those who argue that too much austerity is selfdefeating.

The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), which makes the forecasts in Osborne’s statements, may also predict he will fail to get public sector debt falling as a proportion of national output by 2015/16. That in turn could endanger Britain’s triple-A credit rating, which Osborne has promised to defend vigorously. To reach the OBR’s forecast of cutting borrowing to 120 billion pounds this year, the deficit must fall by 1.2 percent. It is now 7.4 percent higher than at the same time in 2011.

While Britain emerged from recession in the third quarter, Bank of England Governor Mervyn King has warned that growth will remain sluggish on a “long and winding” road to recovery.

“Looking out into future years, the key challenge

for the Chancellor is that the budget 2012 forecasts were based on optimistic growth forecasts,” said Rob Wood, an economist at Berenberg Bank. “It is likely they will have to revise that down, which will reduce tax receipt growth in the future as well, and therefore mean deficit overshoots are here to stay.”

Battered by the euro zone crisis and drained by overdependence on troubled banks, the weak economy means Osborne may have to cut more spending or extend the period of austerity once again beyond the current 2016/17 to meet his targets.

“The choice would be when to announce that. Do you use the extra year and pencil in a further tightening for 2017/18 or does he go for something quicker than that?” said Gemma Tetlow, a program director at the Institute of Fiscal Studies. Neither is likely to go down well with voters hurt by austerity imposed by a government which is cast by critics as run by wealthy “posh boys” who are out of touch. Osborne cannot risk repeating the blunders of his budget in March, a public relations disaster that taxed cheap hot food, hit the elderly, cut taxes for the highest earners and hurt the Conservatives’ poll ratings. —Reuters

As Turkish economy booms, deep inequality persists Unemployment stubbornly high despite fast growth ISTANBUL: Near the shores of the Bosphorus, a few minutes’ drive from a bay of million-dollar homes and swaying yachts, Jimmy Choo and Prada vie for the affections of the Istanbul elite inside the glass rotunda of Istinye Park.

The sprawling shopping mall is an emblem of Turkey’s economic boom, a success story that defies the commercial gloom across much of Europe. But behind the complex, with its valet parking and chic boutiques, there’s a slum housing rural Turks who have swarmed to this city of 14 million in search of jobs which, despite fast economic growth, are hard to come by.

The disparity is fuelling “alienation and disenfranchisement” in the poorest parts of the country, says Sinan Ulgen of the Istanbul-based Centre for Economic and Foreign Policy Studies. Inequality also deepens the fissures in society over issues such as Turkey’s developing democracy, human rights and religion. Through a decade of almost uninterrupted expansion, in which Turkey has established its economic and diplomatic clout as a Muslim democracy bridging Europe and the Middle East, the gap between rich and poor has barely budged.

In 2011, when Turkey had the fastest growing economy in Europe, enjoying an expansion of 8.5 percent, the richest 20 percent of Turkey’s 74 million people accounted for almost half of national income. The poorest 20 percent had just 6 percent.

Turkey ranks third highest among 34 countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development on a scale of income inequality. This is despite average annual economic growth of 3.5 percent between 2007 and 2011, driven by strong consumer demand and construction activity.

Analysts blame Turkey’s inequality, in part, on a lopsided tax system that draws two-thirds of its revenue from indirect taxes such as an 18 percent sales tax on most goods and services, rather than direct levies such as income tax, which can be designed so that wealthier people pay higher rates. The sales tax itself seems distorted; the rate for clothing and caviar is 8 percent, and zero for some precious stones.

Other factors are the limited rights of trade unions, and barriers to women seeking work in a traditional Muslim society. Also, Turkey’s unemployment rate remains stubbornly

high at between 8 and 9 percent.

“The social state is missing in Turkey. The highest amount of taxes is collected from the middle and lower classes,” said Turkish economist Mustafa Sonmez. He also cited draconian legislation limiting union activity that dates from a military coup in 1980.

“For the equal distribution of income you need strong labor unions, but this right has been scaled back since Sept. 12, 1980,” Sonmez said. “Workers don’t have a say in income distribution.”

In October 2011, 16 percent of the population was classified as living below the poverty line, with an income of 3,120 lira ($1,745) per month for a family of four.

Women are particularly vulnerable in a society where many are not encouraged to work or seek higher education. Just 30 percent of Turkish women and slightly over 40 percent of Turks aged 15-24 are employed or actively looking for work.

“You really need to be qualified,” said 23-year-old Umran Zeynep Yildiz, who graduated from a vocational lyceum five years ago but says she has given up on finding a job.

“For people like me, it has become very difficult to find a job since most people nowadays have university degrees.”

Since she is no longer looking for work, Yildiz does not figure in the official unemployment statistics. Nor do 13 million housewives.

Critics say the government has largely focused on social programs to mitigate the effects of unemployment and cut the costs to businesses of employing people in the worstaffected areas of the country, rather than tackling the root causes of inequality. Early this year the government unveiled a national employment strategy, including vocational training programs and incentives for businesses to hire more workers and provide training. In some cases the government provides money for wages and social security payments for six months. While such programs certainly help, they do not solve the problem of creating enough jobs in a young and fast-growing population, the critics say. Turkey’s annual population growth averaged 1.3 percent between 2004 and 2010, according to the World Bank, compared to 0.3 percent for Europe and Central Asia.

Most jobs are created in the financial capital Istanbul, the administrative capital Ankara and other urban

centres. Some rural areas are left behind, notably southeastern Turkey, where poverty is helping feed a decades-long insurgency by Kurdish militants of the Kurdistan Workers Party.

The government, led since 2002 by the Islamist-rooted AK Party, defends its record. It points to the fact that the unemployment rate is down from a peak of 14 percent in 2009, at the height of the global financial crisis. “Turkey is the only country that reduced unemployment in the period after the global crisis, through incentives and legislation t o invest in the education of the labour force and the reduction of labor costs to employers,” said Muammer Coskun, director of the Turkish Employment Service, an offshoot of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security which serves as an intermediary between employers and job seekers.

According to the ministry, the government has employed some 2,700 professionals as work advisors to match job seekers with companies looking to hire. The government says it is aiming for 5 percent unemployment by 2023. Nevertheless, social inequality is striking under a ruling party which draws much of its support from the poorer, socially conservative Anatolian heartland. Since coming to power it has presided over the growth of a nouveau riche class, including tycoons and entrepreneurs with close links to the government.

For now, the AK Party may escape any serious political backlash from the inequality issue. It comfortably won the last parliamentary elections in June 2011; the poorest people are often religiously conservative and therefore unlikely to rebel against an Islamist-rooted government.

But critics say Turkey’s inequality could become a political problem for the AK Party in future, if the government does not invest more in education, agriculture and labor-intensive industry to aid poorer regions, and encourage women to enter the workforce. Recent opinion polls suggest public support for the AK Party may have dropped below 50 percent.

“The strategic force of Turkey is its young labor force,” said Faik Oztrak, in charge of economic policy at the main opposition Republican People’s Party.

“If the hope of the young to reach the desired living standard gradually fades...Turkey may face serious social issues.” — Reuters

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

BUSINESS

HSBC economist bullish on Gulf growth Mideast economy ‘underperformed’ • Euro-zone to remain weak

By Sajeev K Peter

domestic growth on high levels of public spending, said Simon Williams, chief economist at the HSBC Middle East.

“The political turmoil set the Middle East apart from the fast-growing emerging markets throughout 2011 and for much of 2012. But a

KUWAIT: The Middle Eastern economies, particularly GCC, are uniquely resilient amidst a global economic downturn because of the high oil receipts they receive which in turn drive

KUWAIT: Simon Williams, chief economist at the HSBC Middle East, speaks prior to the HSBC Roadshow yesterday. — Photo by Joseph Shagra

combination of high oil prices, fiscal stimulus and political stability, is seeing regional growth regain momentum at a time when the rest of the world seems to be slowing,” Williams said yesterday on the sidelines of a roadshow held by the HSBC Middle East at the Salwa Al-Sabah Theatre.

The HSBC roadshow is an annual event that analyses a constantly changing economic environment both globally and regionally and gives critical insight into the potential impact of the economic situation on businesses and lives.

David Bloom, Global Head of FX strategy, and Simon Williams shared their views on the theme ‘shaping global economics’ with PowerPoint presentations during the 6th HSBC roadshow.

“The year 2012 will be a record year for the region as it received the highest oil receipt with crude prices hovering around $100 per barrel. Our expectations are that 2013 will be another record year with high oil surpluses presenting a unique opportunity for the region to build infrastructure and support private sector growth, not only in Kuwait, but also across the GCC. Underperformed Giving a bullish outlook for the GCC economy, Williams said the region has enormous potential for growth though it remains largely underperformed. According to him, oilfunded public sector-led growth model is

limited in scope and finite in duration.

“Productivity, not politics, is the key longterm risk. The region must continue sustained structural reforms not just building the infrastructure alone, but must create conducive business environment with a whole raft of policy actions and help the emergence of the private sector,” he said.

Egypt has strong potential for growth though the current political turmoil is a cause of worry as it could negatively impact the economy. Talking specifically about the banking sector, he said, “GCC banks are wellcapitalized. There is enough liquidity, enabling the industry to generate significant levels of credit growth. Only exception may be the UAE banking sector where capital levels are still weak as it has yet to turn the cycle of the downturn.”

Global story Giving a quick snapshot of the global economy, Williams said, economic activity across the euro-zone will remain weak though the region will maintain its integrity. “Policy challenges and economic weakness in the currency zone will continue to operate. However, we expect that the euro currency will gain ground in the next six to nine months,” he pointed out.

Williams expects more aggressive policy actions from the European Central Bank (ECB), helping the euro currency appreciate in the near-term. “Our expectation is that Greek will

remain within the euro-zone though its economy will contract 16% to 17%. The ongoing funding of the troubled states will be a long process,” he said.

Fiscal cliff “We are still anxious over the pace of recovery in the US and pressures associated with the ‘fiscal cliff.’ We expect that there will be some ways through to end the standoff between the US Congress and the White House over the fiscal plan,” he said.

“The kind of pickup in economic activity witnessed since 2008 has been very slow despite enormous fiscal and monetary decisions.

However, we are very optimistic about the emerging markets where downturn will be relatively slow,” he added.

There is a cyclical slowdown in China but an acceleration of growth is expected in 2013.

David Bloom offered his views on trends in the FX market in the new era as it has moved on from carry trade when the FX market offered a clearer framework for understanding and trading currencies to a new and far less predictable area.

Simon Vaughan Johnson, CEO, HSBC Kuwait, said, “the annual event in Kuwait is highly appreciated by our customers and business partners. The economists are valued for their international perspective and their ability to provoke discussions as well as the development of new ideas,” Johnson added.

Spain reforms banks, Bankia cuts 6,000 jobs Brussels okay restructuring plans MADRID: Spain advanced yesterday with a major overhaul of its stricken banking sector after Brussels approved EU-funded restructuring plans, while nationalized Bankia announced 6,000 job cuts and forecast a huge loss.

Meanwhile the Bank of Spain delivered more bad news on the overall economy, saying the country appeared stuck in a job-killing recession in the fourth quarter.

The European Commission cleared the restructuring of four Spanish banks-Bankia, NCG Banco, Catalunya Banc and Banco de Valenciapaying the way for Spain to receive next month some 37 billion euros ($48 billion) of EU funds to help clean up their balance sheets.

The Commission said the restructuring of the four banks “will allow them to become viable in the long-term without continued state support” while the plans contain provisions to limit distortions to competition. Banco de Valencia, whose independent future could not be secured, will be sold and integrated into CaixaBank, the Commission said in a statement.

“The approval ... is a milestone in the implementation of the (accord) ... Our objective is to restore the viability of banks receiving aid so that they are able to function without public support in the future,” European Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said in the statement.

“Restoring a healthier financial sector capable of financing the real economy is indispensable for economic recovery in Spain” Almunia added.

Bankia, whose 20-billion-euro bailout by the government in May prompted Spain to seek funding of up to 100 billion euros from its euro-zone partners in June to help rescue its banks, is set to get 18 billion euros of the latest funds. NGC will get 5.5 billion euros of the payment, with Catalunya Banc 9.0 billion euros and Banco de Valencia 4.5 billion euros.

When combined with aid previously extended to the four by the Spanish government, Bankia will have received about 36 billion euros, NGC 10 billion euros, Catalunya Banc 14 billion euros and Banca de Valencia 7.0 billion euros, or 67 billion

euros in all. Bankia, whose shares were suspended from trading yesterday by regulators, said after the Brussels announcement that it would cut 6,000 jobs, about 28 percent of its staff, by 2015 and close 39 percent of its branches. The bank said it intended to return to profit in 2013, but warned that it expected to report a huge loss of 19 billion euros this year. The bank is symptomatic of the problems of the Spanish banking sector, and an example of the problems eurozone states face with helping banks.

Formed in 2010 from the merger of seven regional savings banks which expanded too fast and were shackled by a mountain of debt which went bad after the property bubble burst in 2008, Bankia posted a loss of nearly 3.0 billion in 2011. The government’s bailout of Bankia pushed it to seek EU help to clean up its banks, with the added debt fuelling concern that Madrid may need to seek a full sovereign debt bailout. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has resisted pressure to ask for further help and those fears have eased. — Reuters

US economy gets lift from consumers

HONG KONG: A man uses an automatic teller machine (ATM) next to Chinese yuan (left) and US dollar symbols in Hong Kong yesterday. The US Treasury again stopped short of labeling China a currency manipulator, noting gains in the value of the yuan, but said the currency remains “significantly undervalued.” — AFP

US again says China not currency manipulator WASHINGTON: The US Treasury on Tuesday again stopped short of labeling China a currency manipulator, noting gains in the value of the yuan, but said the currency remains “significantly undervalued.” In a twice-yearly finding to answer congressional critics of China’s overwhelming bilateral trade advantage, the Treasury declined to slap Beijing with the currency manipulator tag, a move that could spark US trade sanctions. The US Treasury argued that Beijing knows that an appreciating currency is in its own interest, and said the yuan, or renminbi (RMB), had gained 9.3 percent against the dollar between June 2010 and November 2012.

It said that when inflation was taken into account, the value of the Chinese currency had increased 12.6 percent since June 2010, when Beijing pledged to allow the yuan to trade more freely.

Nevertheless, it said, based on Beijing’s huge stock of foreign reserves and its strong trade surplus, the yuan’s appreciation has been “insufficient.” Those and other factors “suggest that the real exchange rate of the RMB remains significantly undervalued and further appreciation of the RMB against the dollar and other major currencies is warranted.”

After hitting a year low in July of around RMB 6.39 per dollar, the currency has steadily climbed in recent weeks to hit a fresh record high of RMB 6.22 per dollar on Monday. It was trading around 6.227 per dollar in late trade Tuesday. The US Treasury regularly reviews the exchange rate policies of nine economies that account for 70 percent of US foreign trade, with most of the focus on China, the world’s second largest economy.

Critics in Congress accuse Beijing of keeping the yuan artificially low to make Chinese exports unfairly cheap. They want the Asian nation officially labelled a manipulator in order to apply sanctions against the country.

The administration of President Barack Obama has raised trade pressure on China but has refrained from any formal action on the currency front.

In its last report in May, the Treasury also said the yuan was “significantly undervalued.”

Republicans used the issue of China’s currency to batter Obama ahead of the November 6 elections, but the Democratic incumbent handily defeated his Republican rival Mitt Romney. Romney had accused Obama of going easy on Beijing and promised, if elected, to label China a manipulator on the first day of his presidency.—AFP

WASHINGTON: American consumers are growing more confident about the job market, companies are ordering more equipment and home prices are rising in most major cities. The latest batch of government data suggests that the economy is improving just as the holiday shopping season begins. The only threat is a package of huge spending cuts and tax increases that will kick in unless Congress strikes a budget deal by year’s end. Rising home values, more hiring and lower gas prices pushed consumer confidence in November to the highest level in nearly five years.

And steady consumer spending appears to have encouraged businesses to invest more in October after pulling back over the summer.

Those trends could boost economic growth slightly in the final three months of the year. But the real payoff could come early next year - if the automatic tax increases and spending cuts known as the “fiscal cliff” can be averted.

Businesses that have postponed expansion plans could move forward with projects. That could lead to more hiring.

“Right now, households don’t seem to be letting the fiscal threat control their urge to spend,” said Joel Naroff, president of Naroff Economic Advisors. “The first weekend of holiday sales was great, vehicle sales are holding up and housing is strong.” Reports Tuesday showed: The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index rose to 73.7 in November from 73.1 in October. Both are the best readings since February 2008. The index is still below 90, the level that is consistent with a healthy economy. It last reached that point in December 2007, the first month of the Great Recession. But the index has increased from the all-time low of 25.3 touched in February 2009. The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller 20-city index of home prices rose 3 percent in September compared with the same month last year. Prices also gained 3.6 percent in the JulySeptember quarter compared with the same quarter in 2011. Prices increased in 18 of 20 cities over the 12-month period. Companies ordered more industrial machinery and other large equipment in October.

Orders for core capital goods, considered a proxy for business investment, rose 1.7 percent in October, the Commerce Department said. That’s the largest increase since May and it follows sharp declines over the summer.

One reason Americans are more optimistic is because they see the job market improving, the Conference Board survey showed. Employers added 171,000 jobs in October and more jobs were created in August and September than first thought. The percentage of Americans who say jobs are “plentiful” rose to 11.2 percent from 10.4 percent in the previous month, according to the survey. That’s the highest level in four years. Some economists say that’s a good sign for hiring. Falling gas prices, which leave consumers more money to spend, are providing another boost. Gas prices have dropped from an average of about

ATHENS: Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras arrives for a press conference at the Finance Ministry in Athens yesterday. — AFP

Greece works on debt buy-back, bank shares fall ATHENS: The Greek government got down to work yesterday on how to buy back part of its debt, under a new IMF-euro-zone rescue package which is pushing down Greek bank shares.

The index of banks quoted on the Athens stock exchange fell by 4.12 percent in initial trading on Wednesday, having fallen by 9.80 percent on Tuesday.

Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras was to explain how the buy-back will be carried out, at a press conference early in the afternoon, a ministry source said. The scheme, tied to the latest rescue package for Greece, is expected to concern debt bonds issued

by Greece and held by private creditors, the source said.

The value of Greek bonds has plunged in value as the debt crisis has risen in intensity and since a big debt write-off by private bondholders at the beginning of the year.

By buying back debt at a heavy discount, Greece reduces the total burden of debt.

Under the terms of the complex package of measures agreed in Brussels early on Monday, Greece must buy back part of its debt under certain conditions by December 13. Under the package, the International Monetary Fund and the euro-zone agreed to release 43.7 billion euros ($57 billion) in four instalments from the middle of December to March to enable Greece to avoid the bankruptcy towards the end of the year.

This latest transfer is under a timetable set by previous rescues, and conditional on new budget action which Greece has agreed to enact. It was held up until the deal on Tuesday because of deep problems over how to deal with Greece’s huge longterm debt. An important part of the package is the arrangement for Greece to buy

back debt by December 13. Analysts at the Greek bank Eurobank said they expected the operation to be carried out next week and to involve the purchase at a discount of half of debt totalling 62.3 billion euros held by private creditors. In March, Greece’s overall private creditors agreed to write debt of about 107 billion euros.

Eurobank said that under the latest operation, the Greek state hoped to reduce the debt in private Greek hands by 17 billion euros. The purpose of this is to enable Greece to reduce its outstanding debt as a ratio of gross domestic product to 124.0 percent in 2020, as required by the latest IMF-euro-zone deal which represented a compromise by the IMF. But Greek banks, already in trouble before the 70-percent debt write down in March which further weakened their balance sheets, are under new pressure because of the buy back.

Greek economic newspapers say that Greek banks, which are in the process of being recapitalized, hold bonds covered by the buy-back proposal amounting to 16.9 billion euros. Greek social insurance funds hold qualifying to the tune of 7.9 billion euros and foreign funds holds bonds worth 33.0-34.0 billion euros. The buy-back means that holders of the bonds, who have written down the value already in their balance sheets and may be hoping to hold on to the bonds in the hope that one day they recover part of their value, will no longer have this option for the instruments affected.

The effect for Greek banks will be to reduce their chances of attracting private capital to avoid falling under public control as they recapitalize, the former president of the Greek banking union Vassilis Rapanos said on Skai television late on Tuesday. — AFP

India’s Sahara Group buys iconic Plaza Hotel NEW DELHI: Flamboyant Indian billionaire Subrata Roy has finalized the purchase of New York’s landmark Plaza Hotel for $575 million, it was announced yesterday. Roy’s Sahara group, a top sponsor of Indian cricket and motor racing, has also bought the luxury hotel Dream New York from hotelier Vikram Chatwal for $220 million, India’s Economic Times reported. Both deals were closed Monday.

The hotels lie close to Central Park and Sahara, which bought Grosvenor House hotel in London two years ago, is reportedly looking at other landmark properties to build up a luxury hotel portfolio, the Economic Times said. The 223-room Plaza “was a great opportunity for the buyer to expand into a key US gateway market with the purchase of such an irreplaceable asset”, said consultant to the sale, Solid Rock’s President Greg Rice. Sahara bought the

Plaza, whose guests have included Eleanor Roosevelt, the Beatles, Mark Twain and Groucho Marx, from an Israeli-owned realtor El Ad US Holdings in a deal valued at $575 million, the vendor said in a statement.

Co-owner Kingdom Holding, a leading global investment firm controlled by Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, will retain a 25 percent stake. The purchases come as Sahara faces an Indian Supreme Court order to refund as much as $4.5 billion collected from 30 million small savers for failing to adhere to regulatory norms. If Sahara does not pay investors by the end of the month authorities should use all means possible to reclaim the money, including freezing the company’s accounts, the court said.

Sahara has sought an extension to the deadline. The Sahara group, known as a reclusive entity, did not make any announcement of its own on its acquisitions. — AFP

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

health & science Soy unlikely to help hot flashes

PORTLAND: File photo shows Mykayla Comstock, 7, readies herself to swallow her medical marijuana dose, which she takes twice daily.

PORTLAND: Mykayla Comstock admires her dress while her dog, Chase, looks on. —AP photos

7-year-old gets medical marijuana to combat chemo The drug helps her eat, sleep and makes her feel funny PORTLAND: A 7-year-old girl suffering from leukemia is one of Oregon’s youngest medical marijuana patients. Her mother says she gives her daughter marijuana pills to combat the effects of chemotherapy, but her father, who lives in North Dakota, worries about the effects of the drug on her brain development. Mykayla Comstock was diagnosed with leukemia last spring. Her mother treats her with a gram of cannabis oil daily, The Oregonian reported (http://bit.ly/TcqSqW ).

Mykayla’s mother credits the drug for the leukemia’s remission. “As a mother, I am going to try anything before she can potentially fall on the other side,” said Erin Purchase, 25, who with her boyfriend administers Myk ayla’s cannabis. The girl says the drug helps her eat and sleep but also makes her feel “funny.” “It helps me eat and sleep,” Myk ayla said. “ The chemotherapy

makes you feel like you want to stay up all night long.”

Mykayla’s father, who is divorced from the girl’s mother, was so disturbed by his daughter’s marijuana use that he contacted child welfare officials, police and her oncologist. The father, Jesse Comstock, said his concerns were prompted by a visit with Mykayla in August. “She was stoned out of her mind,” said Comstock, 26. “All she wanted to do was lay on the bed and play video games.”

Comstock, who works in the North Dakota oil field, pays child support to Purchase and covers Mykayla’s health insurance. He said he observed strange behavior during an August visit and took Mykayla to a private lab, where technicians detected THC levels of an adult daily marijuana user. Gladstone police contacted the girl’s mother, examined

Mykayla’s medical marijuana paperwork, then told Comstock there was little they could do.

Comstock, who used pot in the past, said he doesn’t object to people over 16 using medical marijuana. But he worries about his daughter’s well-being and the potential for addiction.

“She’s not terminally ill,” Comstock said. “She is going to get over this, and with all this pot, they are going to hinder her brain growth. “It’s going to limit her options in life because of the decisions her mother has made for her,” he added.

Oregon law requires no monitoring of a child’s medical marijuana use by a pediatrician. The law instead invests authority in parents to decide the dosage, frequency and manner of a child’s marijuana consumption. Many doctors worry about introducing a child to marijuana when they say other drugs can treat pain and

nausea more effectively. Purchase believes marijuana heals, and credits the drug for curing her stepfather’s skin cancer.

She herself is an Oregon medical marijuana patient, and her boyfriend is Mykayla’s grower. She is so convinced of the drug’s safety that she consumed it during the pregnancy and while breastfeeding her second child. When her symptoms are especially bad, Mykayla’s mother and her mother’s boyfriend will feed her cannabis-infused food. She’s had up to 1.2 grams of cannabis oil in 24 hours, the rough equivalent of smoking 10 joints.

Purchase said Mykayla’s first oncologist called the marijuana use “inappropriate.” With marijuana, Purchase said her daughter has been able to fight past the chemotherapy and return to a sense of normalcy. “She’s like she was before,” her mother said. “She’s a normal kid.” —AP

NEW YORK: Women who eat a lot of soy-based foods or fiber don’t seem to have fewer menopause symptoms, according to a US study the latest research to find no benefits from eating extra amounts of soy, a food abundant in dietary estrogen. Hormone replacement therapy, based on estrogen and other hormones, is effective in reducing hot flashes and other menopause symptoms, but carries some risks of heart disease and cancer. Researchers have been testing whether plant estrogens can offer benefits, perhaps without the risks.

“Many women can’t or don’t want to take hormones,” making dietary estrogen an appealing alternative, said Ellen Gold, the lead author of the study and a professor at the University of California Davis School of Medicine. But studies on plant estrogens have been mixed. A review of 17 studies on soy supplements has found that thepills can reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes, but some individual trials on soy protein pills have found no benefits. “It might be a dead end,” said William Wong, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine who has studied the effects of soy protein on menopause symptoms but was not part of the study.

To see if women who choose to eat more phytoestrogens have an easier time through menopause, Gold and her colleagues tracked 1,651 women for 10 years. At the beginning of the study, none of the women had gone through menopause. Each year the researchers, whose findings appeared in the journal Menopause, followed up with them to gather any reports of hot flashes or night sweats, and every few years the women filled out a food survey.

By the end of the study, Gold’s team could find no consistent pattern between the amount of phytoestrogens eaten and how often or how severely women experienced hot flashes and night sweats.

The same was true for how much fiber the women ate. In some cases, the researchers did see a relationship between one type of dietary estrogen and menopause symptoms, but it didn’t always carry through when they examined women of different ethnicities or looked at different points in time. But those apparent results may simply have been due to chance, they wrote.

Gold said it’s possible that for some subsets of women, plant estrogens might have a benefit, but they weren’t able to tease that out in this study. “I think the more promising avenue for us in the future is to see if there are some women who might benefit,” she told Reuters Health. Wong is less optimistic, because of the negative results seen in longterm studies of women taking soy protein supplements. “After looking at our own clinical trial data and others, we don’t see it,” he told Reuters Health.

“I think we should move on.” —Reuters

Study leaves US women with conflicting advice on mammograms

Erin Purchase with her mother.

PORTLAND: Preparations for 7-year old Mykayla Comstock’s medical marijuana dose, a cannabis extract prepared into gel cap form, are shown.

Cloudy with a chance of flu?

Study offers influenza forecast First rudimentary forecasts might be available next flu season WASHINGTON: New research suggests it may be possible to forecast flu outbreaks in much the same way meteorologists predict weather, a potential boon for public health officials and consumers, one of the study’s authors said on Tuesday. Using real-time US data gathered by Google Inc, along with a computer model showing how flu spreads, the researchers offered a system that could generate local forecasts of the severity and length of a particular flu outbreak.

This k ind of forecasting could improve preparation and management of annual flu outbreaks in the United States, said Irene Eckstrand of the National Institutes of Health. Influenza kills 250,000 to 500,000 people each year around the globe; the US annual flu death toll is 35,000.

If the forecasts are reasonably accurate, they could help public health officials target vaccines and anti-viral drugs to areas of greatest need, said study co -author Jeffrey Shaman of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. “If you have a six-week forecast with good confidence that you’re going to have an outbreak in New York City and nothing’s going on in LA, you’d send the vaccines there (to New York) because there’s enough time to distribute them ... before there’s an actual outbreak,” Shaman said.

He suggested that flu forecasts might be distributed through T V weather programming. Individuals then could decide whether to get the flu vaccine, keep their distance from peo-

ple who sneeze or cough and closely monitor symptoms. This pilot study, published on Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, looked only at the New York City area, using data from 2003 through 2008.

Tracking flu movements Even so, if all goes well, the system could offer rudimentary forecasts as soon as next year’s flu season, Shaman said. It might be possible to issue a few flu forecasts this season, though those would be in “test-case form,” he said. “We have to try

Salary growth lagging for US primary care doctors NEW YORK: Primary care doctors in the United States don’t seem to be reaping the rewards of rising health care costs where it counts - in their paychecks, according to a study. The findings, which appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association, could have implications for what some predictions say will be a primary care shortage in some parts of the United States in the coming years. Researchers found that since the late 1980s, the average doctor’s earnings have grown more slowly than the salaries of other health professionals, such as pharmacists, dentists and registered nurses.

“It is possible that there are some specialties that have done extremely well in the past 10 or 15 years,” said health policy researcher Amitabh Chandra from Harvard University, who worked on the study. “In terms of the experience of the median doctor, the median doctor is not at the heart of all the cost growth we’re seeing in America,” he added. “Median” doctors were the ones in the middle of the salary range.

For their study, Chandra and his colleagues analyzed data from a nationallyrepresentative survey of American’s occupations and earnings conducted every year

between 1987 and 2010. Each round included people older than 35 from 60,000 different households. Over the 14-year study, 30,556 health professionals were surveyd, including 6,258 doctors. Between 1987-1990 and 2006-2010, the median doctor’s annual earnings grew from $143,963 to $157,751 - a difference of 9.6 percent.

That was after taking into account any salary differences based on gender, age and location.

By contrast, the average pharmacist’s earnings increased by 44 percent, from $70,341 to $101,279, and the average dentist’s by 23 percent, from $105,511 to $129,795. Looking closer, the study team found that doctors’ salaries grew between 1987-1990 and 1996-2000, but then were stagnant over the next decade, a time when other health professionals continued to get bigger paychecks.

Because the earnings reflect pay for doctors in the middle of the salary pack, Chandra said the slow growth probably represents patterns for primary care doctors rather than specialists - and earnings for some “procedure-driven specialities,” such as cardiology, may have grown a lot. —Reuters

it for other regions, other cities,” said Shaman. “We have to look and see how it worked during the pandemic years ... we have to see the differences in performance depending on the aggressiveness of the strain of flu.”

The computer program the scientists used is a standard epidemiological model showing how influenza moves through a population, from those who are susceptible to flu, to those who have it, to those who have recovered, said study co-author Alicia Karspeck of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado.

The problem with this model is that it’s nearly impossible to pinpoint who is susceptible and difficult to track recoveries, though it is possible to figure out the trajectory of an outbreak, Karspeck said. To conduct their research, the authors said, they needed real-time data, and they found it in an online tool called Google Flu Trends, which uses search terms people put into the Web-based search engine to figure out where influenza is occurring. The tool, launched in 2008, then notifies the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in real time.

In a process known as retrospective forecasting, the scientists tested their findings against what happened in the New York area from 2003 through 2008.

Because they knew what had happened in these years, they could check their work.

Using the computer program and the flu trends data, they generated retrospective weekly flu forecasts, which predicted the peak of the outbreak more than seven weeks before it occurred. —Reuters

CHICAGO: Controversial US guidelines for mammography issued in 2009, calling for screening every two years rather than annually for women over 50 years old, can result in breast cancers being missed, according to US researchers studying the hotly debated topic. This latest study assessing the impact of revised guidelines issued by the US Preventive Services Task Force three years ago comes on the back of a chilling analysis published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

The NEJM study, using three decades of US government data, found that nearly one in three patients - or 1.3 million women - whose cancer was detected through routine mammograms was treated for a tumor that may not have been life threatening. Routine screening has traditionally been recommended by the task force and the American Cancer Society for all women over the age of 40. The American Cancer Society has not changed its stance, but the task force issued new guidelines in 2009, recommending mammography every two years for women 50 to 74 years old.

Dr Elizabeth Arleo of Weill Medical College of Cornell University and lead researcher examined the impact of the revised task force guidelines on women 40 to 49 years of age and 65 years and older. Arleo analyzed data on screening mammography at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center between 2007 and 2010. Over those four years, 43,351 mammograms were performed, leading to the detection of 205 breast cancers. Nearly 20 percent of cancers detected with screening mammography were found in women in their 40s.

“In our book, it seems unacceptable to miss 19 percent of breast cancers, half of which were invasive,” she said, noting that “invasive” cancers are more advanced because they reside in the breast tissues and not just the breast ducts. “Our findings favor the American Cancer Society recommendations. Women over 40 should have annual mammograms. In my book, there’s no confusion. I tell my patients, I tell my friends, and I tell my mother to get annual mammograms,” Arleo said in a telephone interview. “We hope we can quell some of the confusion.”

She presented her findings at the Radiological Society of North America meeting in Chicago. Arleo dismissed the NEJM analysis, calling the premise and conclusions of the analysis flawed, mostly because no one can say for sure which cancers would have progressed to an advanced or life-threatening state.

“We need to understand the biology of cancer so we know which cancers to treat. Until that question is answered, screening is our best shot,” she said.

She acknowledged that false positives are a problem of widespread screening. “But for every test, you have to do a risk-benefit analysis, not just for mammography,” Arleo added. —Reuters

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

health & science

A clear face with Sebamed Teenage skin is particularly susceptible to blemishes. All Clear Face products support the skin’s natural ecological system on a lasting basis thanks to the pH value of 5.5. The slightly acidic pH value prevents harmful substances from penetrating the skin and the bacteria which cause pimples from proliferating. The Clear Face Cleansing Bar results in deep yet gentle cleansing of the pores. The Care Gel soothes the skin, smoothing it with allantoin, panthenol, bisabolol and hyaluronic acid.

Deep Cleansing Facial Toner removes excess sebum and oil from the skin. The Anti-Pimple Gel is designed to dry out pimples and blemishes.

- Combats pimples, blackheads and skin impurities.

Clear Face Cleansing Bar Acts naturally to get rid of pimples, blackheads and skin impurities.

Ensures deep and gentle cleansing, free of soap and alkali cares for young skin with amino acids, important vitamins and active humectants.

The skin’s own pH value of 5.5 stabilises the natural protective acid mantle, offers biological protection from bacteria causing acne and is therefore extremely effective in preventing pimples.

Care Gel Sebamed Clear Face Care Gel is the ideal basic dermatological care product for dealing with pimples, blackheads and blemishes. Active moisturizing factors such as hyaluronic acid and natural aloe barbadensis give the skin plenty of

moisture. Precious allantoin and panthenol soothe and care for the skin, making it soft and supple. The skin’s own pH value of 5.5 stabilises the natural protective acid mantle, offers biological protection from bacteria causing acne and is therefore extremely effective in preventing. sebamed Clear Face Care Gel is characterised by its excellent skin tolerance. It encourages the skin’s own barrier function to prevent drying

and acne bacteria and is therefore specially recommended to deal with pimples, blackheads and skin impurities. Sebamed Clear Face Care Gel with a pH value of 5.5 free from oils and fragrance gives the skin plenty of moisture. Is the ideal care product after using the sebamed Clear Face Cleansing Bar. Anti-Pimple Gel Inflamed pimples are healed

quickly through selective drying of the pimples plus an antibacterial effect while soothing the skin.

Deep Cleansing Facial Toner Sebamed Clear Face Deep Cleansing Facial Toner gently cleanses the face removes excess sebum, oil and dirt. It offers antibacterial action and is therefore extremely effective in preventing the development of pimples.

Panthenol encourages skin regeneration and hamamelis soothes it.

Silk proteins and allantoin act as moisturisers. The pH value of 5.5 encourages the natural protective acid mantle and takes biological action against bacteria causing acne. To cleanse the face sebamed Clear Face Deep Cleansing Facial Toner should be applied to a cotton wool pad and smoothed evenly over the face.

Anti-Bacterial Cleansing Foam New from sebamed`s Research + Development. Sebamed Clear Face Antibacterial Cleansing Foam containing Montaline-C40 and panthenol. The new active ingredient Montaline-C40, based on coconut oil, reduces the number of bacteria from 100,000 to zero in 5 minutes.

Offers antibacterial action and thus prevents the formation of new pimples. Refines the complexion, provides a matt finish and prevents shine Panthenol soothes and encourages the regeneration of irritated and inflamed skin. The pH value of 5.5 stabilises the natural protective acid mantle. Has a particularly gentle cleansing action.

Daredevil chewing gum makers stick to Maya chicle MEXICO: The milky latex bled from the Mexican rain forest tree as Alfredo Rodriguez Arzate swung his machete, climbing the trunk with a rope around his waist and spurs on his boots. Built like a featherweight boxer, the mustachioed 50-year-old tree climber was careful not to make a wrong move, like accidentally slashing the rope, which could have sent him into a bone-breaking fall. “You can’t make a mistake in this line of work,” Rodriguez said as he hacked off bark some seven meters (23 feet) above the jungle floor, creating a zigzagging trail for the chicle resin to run down the trunk and into a bag.

This is a risk taken by “chicleros” since the late 19th century to extract the original ingredient for chewing gum from the sapodilla tree, which has been harvested since the ancient Maya ruled the southeastern Yucatan Peninsula. The men who dodge poisonous snakes, run into jaguars and climb 30-meter (100-foot) high trees nearly met their demise when US gum makers switched to synthetic ingredients following World War II. But like the sapodilla trees that can live for hundreds of years, the chicleros have stuck around and made a comeback thanks to Asia’s continuing appetite for chicle and soaring demand for the real thing in Europe.

For the past three years, chicleros have produced their own organic chewing gum, selling mint, spearmint, lime and cinnamon flavors in more than 15 nations, mostly in Europe but also in Australia and Israel, under the brand name “Chicza.” Japan still imports chicle to make gum. The Consorcio Chiclero, a company that groups 56 chiclero cooperatives, says chicle sales have jumped 47 percent, from from $1.2 million in 2011 to $1.8 million this year.

“If you chew Chicza, you bring the jungle to your mouth, and you also contribute to conservation,” said Consorcio Chiclero director Manuel Aldrete Terrazas, noting that the business is an incentive to keep trees standing.

Emily Segal, director of the Australian company Organic Imports, said sales have kept growing since she first imported Chicza six months ago, spreading to a network of 3,000 organic stores and independent supermarkets. “Upon first chew, we loved the texture and flavor of the gum and were so impressed with the pure ingredients we realized that this was something the Australian market was crying out for,” she said.

The Mayas and the Aztecs are believed to have chewed chicle to clean their teeth and stave off hunger, though historians say they likely used different techniques to extract the resin from the sapodilla (also called chico zapote) tree and make gum. The modern chewing gum was created by American scientist Thomas Adams in the 19th century after former Mexican leader Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna introduced him to chicle, hoping to export it as an alternative to rubber. Since chicle failed as a rubber substitute, Adams decided to turn it into chewing gum, said Jennifer Mathews, author of “Chicle. The Chewing Gum of the Americas: From the Ancient Maya to William Wrigley.” Chicle’s heyday was during World War II, when US soldiers distributed sticks of gum across the world. There were 20,000 chicleros and 5,000 tons of chicle produced per season at the time. Its decline came when US companies switched to synthetic ingredients. “It was basically abandoned by the 1970s,” Mathews told AFP. The cycle of life The Consorcio Chiclero was created to save the industry after bad management nearly ended chicle production in the early 1990s, with only 1,000 chicleros still climbing trees.

Today around 2,000 chicleros live in small villages like Tres Garantias, a collection of modest wooden homes whose 800 residents mostly live off forestry and chicle. The chicleros climb several trees in a day and wait hours for the latex to fill a bag at the foot of the tree, producing up to 200 tonnes of chicle per year.After a tree is sliced, it takes seven years to heal and be ready for harvesting again during the rainy season, between August and February.

“It is the cycle of life,” said Raymundo Terron Santana, the grey bearded 68-year-old president of the Tres Garantias chiclero cooperative. “When a woman gives birth, she is in pain. And when the chico zapote gives resin, it is also in pain when a chiclero slices it,” he said.

After rappelling from the tree, Rodriguez headed to a jungle camp used by the chicleros to ferment the stuff over a wood fire. He poured a large quantity of the white chicle into a cauldron and cooked it for four hours, stirring the whole time as blue butterflies flew by and howler monkeys growled in the distance. —AFP

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

WHAT’S ON

SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS hat’s more fun than clicking a beautiful picture? Sharing it with others! This summer, let other people see the way you see Kuwait - through your lens. Friday Times will feature snapshots of Kuwait through Instagram feeds. If you want to share your Instagram photos, email us at instagram@kuwaittimes.net

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Greetings appy birthday to our little girl, Leah! May you grow up for us!

Best wishes from your loving mom and dad, (Jeesy, George), Harriet, Bibin, relatives and friends. Have a lovely birthday!

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Announcements Christmas Bazaar alesian Cooperators are orgainising their Annual Christmas Bazaar, on Friday 07th December, 2012 from 9.30am to 12 noon @ IEAS (Don Bosco School). As all the proceeds go to for a good cause...your presence will make a difference!

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GUST Islamic Finance Club is Club of the Year ulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) Office of Student Life (OSL) announced in a small ceremony that the GUST Club of the Year is the Islamic Finance Club. Dr Jassem Al-Abdulsalam, GUST Board of Trustees Member, Sabah Al-Quaddoumi, VP of Academic Services and Dr Milton Blood, International Coordinator and Adjunct Professor at the University of Missouri - St Louis, GUST’s affiliate university, were all present at the event.

Dr Al-Quaddoumi noted: “Student clubs are an important and integral part of the university experience here at GUST and we wish to recognize that.” He also thanked the Office of Student Life members: Anwar Al-Sabah, Aseel Abou Nemah and Yasmeen Abdulrahim for their efforts in making this event possible and for continuously supporting all the GUST clubs.

The Islamic Finance Club (IFC), won because they stand out, works hard, is dedicated to their club and their goals, and continuously shows eagerness and determination to build relationships within and outside the university.

Established in 2009, the IFC proved their

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existence with the myriad of events and sponsored trips to business hubs of the world and their establishment of a solid partnership with the Kuwait Finance House (KFH). The members are: Zabin AlZabin, Omar Al-Oraiman, Naser Al-Haji, Abdullah Al-Ateeqi, Mariam AlAbdulghafoor, Fahad Al-Hees and Mushari Al-Ali. The purpose of the event was not only to recognize the Club of the Year, but also to motivate and encourage the 12 student run clubs and acknowledge their hard work throughout the years.

Dr. Al-Abdulsalam and Dr. Blood extended their congratulations to the IFC and encouraged the other clubs to aim and win next year. Ms. Anwar Al-Sabah said: “This is the first year we choose a Club of the Year, and we hope to name other clubs in future years to offer better events and better activities year by year.”

There are 12 active student clubs at GUST, including: Islamic Finance Club, Media Club, Ruwwad Business Club, Anime Club, Talent Club, Photography Club, Sports Club, Al-Rawafed, iGive, Expressions Society and others.

TASK general body meeting echnical Staff Association of Kuwait (TASK), Kuwait are conducting their General Body meeting on December 7, 2012 Friday 4:00 pm at Hi-Dine Auditorium. Election will be conducted for selecting new office bearers for the year 2013. The committee is inviting all members and technical staff non-residents from India in Kuwait to join hands with TASK and strengthen the association.

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MMF Kuwait media conference alayali Media Forum (MMF), Kuwait will hold ‘MMF Media Conference 2012’ on Friday, November 30, 2012 from 5:30 pm onwards at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan auditorium, Abbassiya. Vidhu P Nair, Deputy Chief of Mission, Indian Embassy, will be the chief guest. Well-known Indian journalist J Gopikrishnan, the first man to unearth the massive 2G Spectrum scandal in India, will deliver the keynote address. The conference will spotlight the emerging trends in media world with special focus on Indian media especially in the context of the growth of social media networks.

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India International School students visit to Omeriya Zoo n November 6, IIS organized a picnic to omeriya zoo for the students of class I & II. Principal F.M. Basheer Ahmed and Vice-Principal Mrs Narendar Kaur conveyed their heart felt wishes for an enjoyable trip.

Primary coordinator Mrs Sophy and Picnic in charges coordinated the whole programme in an organized manner. At

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he new Premier Basketball Academy offers coaching and games every Friday and Saturday from 10 am onwards for 6 to 18 year olds, boys and girls. Located in Bayan Block 7, Masjed Al-Aqsa Street by Abdullah Al-Rujaib High School. Free Basketball and Tee Shirts for all participants, with certificates and special awards on completion of each 6 week course. Qualified and experienced British and American Coaches, Everyone Welcome.

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WARE will begin Winter 1 Arabic language courses with new textbooks and curricula will begin on December 2, 2012 until January 24, 2013. AWARE Arabic language courses are designed with the expat in mind. The environment is relaxed & courses are designed for those wanting to learn Arabic for travel, cultural understanding, and conducting business or simply to become more involved in the community. For more information or registration, please log-on to our website.

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herston Kuwait’s Al Hambra restaurant offers sumptuous breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets in its new location at the Gran Avenue Al Hambra international restaurant at Sheraton Kuwait unveils its second branch at the Grand Avenue, The AVENUES to offer its guests a memorable food experience in a new concept considering its distinguished location and varied delicacies.

Al Hambra restaurant provides lavish buffets for breakfast, lunch and dinner that generously feature a combination of international cuisines and mouthwatering dishes from the four corners of the world.

The debut of Al Hambra restaurant at the Grand Avenue marks the first in a series of buffet restaurants that have opened in The Avenues. It was first estab-

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lished at Sheraton Kuwait in 1966 inspired by the Al Hambra palace in Spain to be the first restaurant that provides a lunch buffet in Kuwait at that time.

Mr. Fahed Abushaar, Area Director/ General Manager of Sheraton Kuwait expressed: “with this qualitative step, Sheraton Kuwait will reach new horizons of hospitality in Kuwait as we aimed with the opening of Al Hambra one of Sheraton Kuwait’s flagship restaurants, to take this unique dining experience to Kuwait’s Avenues mall in order to connect with our customers and cater to a diversified range of tastes. We look forward to welcoming all Al Hambra lovers to a new location at The Grand Avenue to enjoy an exceptional food experience in an inviting atmosphere”

First Kuwaiti doctor to be board certified in healthcare management

Basketball Academy

Arabic courses

Sheraton Kuwait’s Al Hambra restaurant at Grand Avenue

8.00 am students along with the concerned teachers boarded the bus for a bright day to start.

Omeriya zoo is located at AlFarwaniya off the 5th ring road. The

overview of the zoo was quite scenic, lush and airy. Children looked wonder stuck at the beautiful sight of swans and ducks swimming, the leaping moment of the deer, the ferocious roar of the lion and the cheetah, the graceful moves of our national bird,the peacock, the chirping of the parrots, parrots and finches, the birdies resting in the nest, the stills of the crocodile, the playful acts of the gorilla, the vibrant body prints of the zebra and giraffe and children walked away from the scary snakes.

The most amazing of all was the world’s largest bird the ostrich and its enormous eggs. After the visit, children enjoyed the snacks, sharing their experiences and played at the bounce house and the lawn for a while, till it was time to return.

The picnic was not only informative but also a recreation for the body and mind children understood the fact that animals live in a different environment, having different feeding habits and love their young ones as we humans do. They were also told about the side effects of feeding the animals. It is said that Kuwait zoo is one of the entertaining places in Kuwait. There are animals from all over the world. One should never miss a chance to visit the zoo.

r Dalal Alwadani, FACHE, recently became a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, a leading professional society for healthcare leaders. After passing the American Board in Healthcare Management.

Fellow status represents achievement of the highest standard of professional development. To obtain Fellow status, candidates must fulfill multiple requirements, including passing a comprehensive examination, meeting academic and experiential criteria, earning continuing education credits and demonstrating professional/community involvement. Fellows are also committed to ongoing professional development.

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“Because healthcare management ultimately affects the people in our communities, it is critically important to have a standard of excellence promoted by a professional organization,” says Thomas C. Dolan, PhD, FACHE, CAE, president and chief executive officer of ACHE. “By becoming an ACHE Fellow and simultaneously earning board certification from ACHE, healthcare leaders can show that they are committed to providing highquality service to their patients and community.”

Dr Alwadaani is the first Kuwaiti that earned this high professional status, the second in the Gulf Region, and the sixth in the Arab countries.

Joy of Christmas hristmas is the Season of new beginnings and second chances! Headlines of disease, disaster and death slowly but surely acclimatize us to permanently anticipate the darker side of life. Men’s Voice Kuwait and Choral Society has always carried the message of love, hope and unity, touching the hearts of thousands, regardless of age, creed or religion. Every year we look forward to ring the Christmas season with a night of joyous music. Popular 12-year-old choir draws us to the brighter side with the “The Joy of Christmas” a wonderful Concert on Friday, December 7, 2012 at 7 pm at Carmel School Auditorium, Khaitan.

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Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

Photographs show children from KG1 and KG2 demonstrating their skills during the Movement to Music lesson at The Sunshine Kindergarten.

The Sunshine Kindergarten: Dancing to their own beat! t The Sunshine Kindergarten (TSK) in Salwa, the children really know how to move to the music.

Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten classes invited their parents to attend one of their Movement to Music classes last week and, led by specialist music teacher Miss Nicki Baker, the children showed their families and friends some of the ways in which you can bend, stretch, jump, walk and hop to the beat. With songs ringing out in one of the TSK dance studios, children, teachers and parents joined in the fun.

We all know that growing children need to do lots of physical activity, and what better way than to combine exercise with singing, dancing and moving your body to the rhythm of a drum, or a tambourine.

At The Sunshine Kindergarten they follow

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the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum (EYFS) for England and Wales and Physical Development is one of the key areas of learning. Developing better control and coordination of your body and learning how to sing songs in English is a great way to start your Early Years education, as TSK children all know.

Parents caught the action on their iphones and ipads, as these healthy, happy children showed everyone just how much excitement you can have when you take part in active learning at The Sunshine Kindergarten. TSK’s programme of events continues with student trips to the Kuwait Zoo, Health Week, Art Exhibitions, Picnics etc. For more details please browse the website www.tsk.edu.kw, Facebook us, or send us a tweet.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

WHAT’S ON

Expats raise issues to concerned authority ndian community representatives Sharafuddeen Kannath, President Kuwait KMCC & Director Pravasi Welfare Board - Govt of Kerala India, Advocate John Thomas - Manager United Indian School and the Chairman of Indo Arab Socio Cultural Organisation (IASCO) S.A. Labba met with Brigadier Abdul Fatah Al Ali - Brigadier General Manager, Security Department of Farwaniya Governorate to take his attention into various issues faced by the residents at Jleeb Al Shuwaikh on their day to day life such as sudden inspection in various flats and rooms of bachelors and families by local police, domestic residence permit cancellation without any information to the concerned domestic workers, snatching, disturbing school

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students and teachers, need of public awareness meeting, waste removal from the road especially at Abbassiya area etc.

Brigadier General gave a very patient hearing to the concerns raised by the community representatives. He underlined the importance of timely registering of the complaints with proper authorities and advised expatriate community to adhere to that. As well as a confidence building measure Abdul Fatah assured that a public meeting will be conducted soon in Jleeb Shuwaikh area to meet the public in general. The representative thanked the brigadier and his teams for the timely intervention and support.

CBSE awards meritorious students BSE awards meritorious students of India International School

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Indeed it’s a matter of pride for India International School as the students were awarded merit certificate by CBSE

on the basis of outstanding performance. For the same, the meritorious students were felicitated in the morning

assembly by the Principal F.M.Basheer Ahmed, to instill motivation and to inspire confidence among other students. He congratulated the awardees for their stupendous performance in class X CBSE examinations 2011 and presented them with a merit certificate. The following students were proud to receive the honour which they are surely going to cherish the moments in their treasure trove.

Nimisha John, Mymoon Zareen, Hansen D’Silva, Ashjan Ashraf Batha, Saravanan Sowmini Bharathi, Hamna Raphi Puthenveettil, Tanvi Shailesh Chitnis, Priyanka Prakash.

Director Malayil Moosa Koya, Principal F.M.Basheer Ahmed and V.P. Mrs Narinder Kaur congratulated and appreciated for the untiring efforts and immense hard work of the students for securing A1 grade in all the five subjects.

Winner of Youth India Pravasi Award for literature he winner of the Youth India Pravasi Award for literature has been declared. Noted laureate Babu Bharadwaj has been selected for the award for his book ‘Pravasiyude Kurippukal’ (Diary of an Expatriate), said a Youth India press release. The award consists of Rs 20,000 and a certificate. Babu Bharadwaj currently works as the program producer at Media One Channel and has previously worked as Creative Executive at Kairali TV, Editor of Chintha Weekly, Editor of DoolNews. The Award will be presented at a conference on December 7 in Kuwait, said a Youth India press release.

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‘The role of India in New World Order’

ichar Bharathi team is coming up with yet another addition to its prestigious activities. A talk on ‘The role of India in the New World Order’ is being conducted on November 30, 2012 at Indian Community School, Amman Branch, Salmiya, at 5 pm. UNESCO Peace Chair, Professor of Geopolitics at Manipal University and famous writer M D Nalapat will inaugurate the function.

The speaker of the day will be the Indian economist and Chartered Accountant M R Venkatesh. He is India’s highly ranked corporate advisor who has represented Indian corporates at international forums. He is a prolific writer, author, regular columnist and serves as visiting faculty in various professional Institutions, Chambers of Commerce and Universities. The discourse will have a look into India’s foreign policy in the current evolving situation around the world, our economic policies, our political and infrastructural systems and their impact on our growth as a super power.

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Diwali celebration by Rak Dance Academy n the event Rak Dance Academy - Diwali celebrations organized by Rak Dance Academy on Friday, 23rd November 2012, held at Indian Integrated School in Jleeb Shuwaikh Kuwait. The event started with the lighting of the lamp by chief guest, Ambassador of India Satish C. Mehta.

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An enthusiastic mix students of Rak Dance Academy Group alongwith 42 well known artists, who came all the way from India (Andhra Pardesh) made this whole event a mega success with huge gathering and the unique cultural programs have enthralled and captivated the audiences till the end.

The members of Rak thanked

for the smooth conduct of the program and highlighted the achievements made by the RAK academy.

The celebration concluded with the distribution of mementos to the participants.

Golden Jubilee year in Kuwait City at Mar Thoma Parish t’s golden jubilee year in Kuwait City Mar Thoma Parish. H. G. Grace Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan inaugurated the year long Golden jubilee celebrations in a glittering but solemn function organized at Marina Hall Abbasiya, which was well attended by more than three thousand devoted members of the parish.

The Kuwait City Mar Thoma Parish began its spiritual journey in the year 1963 with an aim to provide fellowship, in this part of the world. It was a humble beginning by a few and now is the mis-

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sion of hundreds of Marthomites. This has capitulated the stature of Kuwait City Mar Thoma Parish to being one that drives many a young and old towards a common goal. A goal that lends both a helping hand as well as brotherly support to many needy ones inside and outside Kuwait.

The golden jubilee inauguration reiterated its mission by declaring many projects to serve the community. The ‘Hridayapoorvam’ project is planned to establish a cardiac unit in a mission hospital of the church providing quality

health care at a nominal price to the needy ones. The ‘Karunyapoorvam’ project aims to provide financial assistance to 50 deserving girls for their wedding.

The ‘Snehapoorvam’ project is intended to provide social security to the members of Kuwait City Mar Thoma Parish.

The ‘Darshanapoorvam’ project is to sponsor 50 evangelists in the backward areas of India and the ‘Arpanapoorvam’ project is to dedicate youngsters to the full-time ministry of the church.

During the inaugural function, the newly consecrated Bishops of the Mar

Thoma church Rt. Rev. Dr. Mathews Mar Makarios Episcopa and Rt. Rev. Gregorios Mar Stephanos Episcopa were given a warm reception. P C George MLA, Chief Whip of Kerala Government, inaugurated the function. Mr. H K Mohan First Secretary of Embassy of India Inaugurated the Parish Day celebrations.

H. G. Joshua Mar Nicodemus of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church graced the occasion.

Rev. K A Varghese Vicar Ahmadi Marthoma Church, Rev. Prince Varghese, Rev. Abraham Pulinthitta, Mrs. Susan Roy (Principal United Indian School), M Mathews, Roy Yohannan (NECK), Jacob Thomas, and C V Thomas felicitated the function. Very Rev K O Philipose Vicar of Kuwait City Mar Thoma Parish presided over the meeting. Adv. John Thomas (Vice President of The Parish and General convener of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations Committee) welcomed the gathering and Shilu George proposed the vote of thanks.

During the function the top students of class 10 and 12 of the parish, and the Bible quiz winners were accolade with mementoes. The winner of the Golden Jubilee Logo Design competition Sibu Mammen, was also awarded on the occasion Simon Samuel,. Thomas Mathai Mathews, Eapen T Eapen, Varghese MV and Williiam K Daniel presented the various projects to be implemented in the Golden Jubilee year.

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Australian Embassy Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department.

All processing of visas and immigration matters in conducted by The Australian Consulate-General in Dubai. Email: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VFS) immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office); Tel: +971 4 355 1958 (VFS) - +971 4 508 7200 (Visa Office); Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office).

In Kuwait applications can be lodged at the Australian Visa Application Centre 4B 1st Floor, Al-Banwan Building Al-Qibla Area, Ali Al-Salem Street, opposite the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait. Working hours and days: 09:30 - 17:30; Sunday - Thursday. Or visit their website www.vfs-au-gcc-com for more information. Kuwait citizens can apply for tourist visas on-line at www.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm.

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EMBASSY OF CANADA The Canadian Embassy in Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visa and immigration matters including enquiries is conducted by the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE Individuals who are interested in working, studying, visiting or immigrating to Canada should contact the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, website: www.UAE.gc.ca or www.goingtocanada.gc.ca, E-mail: abdbi-im-enquiry@international.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakei St, Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 7:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is closed for lunch from 12:30 to 13:00. Consular services for Canadian citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00, Sunday through Wednesday.

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EMBASSY OF CYPRUS In its capacity as EU Local Presidency in the State of Kuwait, the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus, on behalf of the Member States of the EU and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, would like to announce that as from 2nd October 2012 all Schengen States’ Consulates in Kuwait will use the Visa Information System (VIS). The VIS is a central database for the exchange of data on short-stay (up to three months) visas between Schengen States. The main objectives of the VIS are to facilitate visa application procedures and checks at external border as well as to enhance security. The VIS will contain all the Schengen visa applications lodged by an applicant over five years and the decisions taken by any Schengen State’s consulate. This will allow applicants to establish more easily the lawful use of previous visas and their bona fide status. For the purpose of the VIS, applicants will be required to provide their biometric data (fingerprints and digital photos) when applying for a Schengen visa. It is a simple and discreet procedure that only takes a few minutes. Biometric data, along with the data provided in the Schengen visa application form, will be recorded in the VIS central database. Therefore, as from 2nd October 2012, first-time applicants will have to appear in person when lodging the application, in order to provide their fingerprints. For subsequent applications within 5 years the fingerprints can be copied from the previous application file in the VIS. The Cypriot Presidency would like to assure the people of Kuwait and all its permanent citizens that the Member States and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, have taken all necessary technical measures to facilitate the rapid examination and the efficient processing of visa applications and to ensure a quick and discreet procedure for the implementation of the new VIS. ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF INDIA Due to maintenance work being done in Sharq area by the Ministry of Electricity on Tuesday, November 27, 2012, BLS International Sharq Branch will remain closed between 08:00 Hrs and 11:30 Hrs. The working hours on 27-11-2012 will be from 16:00 Hrs to 19:30 Hrs. Fahaheel Branch will remain open during regular working hours 08:00 - 11:30 and 16:00- 19:30.

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TEMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to inform the Kenyan community residents throughout Kuwait and the general public that the Embassy has acquired new office telephone numbers as follows: 25353982, 25353985 - Consular’s enquiries 25353987 - Fax Our Email address: info@kenyaembkuwait.com.

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EMBASSY OF UKRAINE The Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait would like to remind that the external polling station No 90046 was created in the Embassy’s premises at the following address: Hawalli, Jabriya, bl.10, str. 6, build. 5. The working hours of the polling station: Sunday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Monday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Tuesday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Wednesday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Thursday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Friday from 10.00 to 13.00 pm; Saturday from 10.00 to 13.00 pm On October 28, 2012 the working hours of the polling station from 8.00 am to 20.00 pm. Please be advised to refer to the Embassy to check your data in the Electoral Register as well as to pick up your personal invitation from the polling station if you did not receive this document by post.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

00:50 01:45 02:35 03:25 04:15 05:05 05:55 06:20 06:45 07:10 07:35 08:00 08:25 09:15 10:10 11:05 12:00 12:55 13:50 14:15 14:45 15:40 16:35 17:00 17:30 18:25 18:50 19:20 20:15 20:40 21:10 21:35 22:05 23:00 23:55

Animal Cops South Africa Hippo: The Wild Feast Untamed & Uncut Galapagos Mutant Planet Wild France Gibbons: Back In The Swing Going Ape RSPCA: On The Frontline RSPCA: On The Frontline Wildlife SOS Monkey Life The Jeff Corwin Experience Dogs 101: Specials Too Cute!

Wild France Last Chance Highway Gator Boys Wildlife SOS E-Vets: The Interns Animal Cops Philadelphia Wild France Going Ape The Really Wild Show Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 Bondi Vet Bondi Vet Dogs 101: Specials Monkey Life E-Vets: The Interns Gibbons: Back In The Swing Going Ape Wild France Wild Animal Repo Into The Pride

00:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 00:45 Come Dine With Me 01:35 Antiques Roadshow 02:25 10 Years Younger 03:20 10 Years Younger 04:10 The Restaurant UK 05:05 House Swap 05:50 Saturday Kitchen 06:20 The Restaurant UK 07:15 House Swap 08:00 MasterChef Australia 08:45 MasterChef Australia 09:30 10 Years Younger 10:20 10 Years Younger 11:10 Bargain Hunt 11:55 Antiques Roadshow 12:45 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 13:25 Come Dine With Me 14:15 Baking Made Easy 14:40 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 15:05 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 15:30 The Hairy Bakers 15:55 Bargain Hunt 16:35 Antiques Roadshow 17:30 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 18:10 Come Dine With Me 19:00 Glamour Puds 19:30 Glamour Puds 19:55 Rhodes Across Italy 20:45 Come Dine With Me 21:35 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 22:20 Antiques Roadshow 23:15 Bargain Hunt

00:05 00:20 00:45 01:10 01:35 02:00 02:25 02:50 03:15 03:40 04:00 04:25 04:50 05:15 05:40 06:00 06:25 06:50 07:00

Popeye The Jetsons Duck Dodgers Puppy In My Pocket Tom & Jerry Kids Scooby Doo Where Are You! The Flintstones Pink Panther And Pals Looney Tunes Help! It’s The Hair Bear Bunch Dexter’s Laboratory Tom & Jerry Looney Tunes The Scooby Doo Show Johnny Bravo The Flintstones The Jetsons Wacky Races New Yogi Bear Show

07:15 The Garfield Show 07:30 Bananas In Pyjamas 07:45 Gerald McBoing Boing 08:10 Baby Looney Tunes 08:35 Ha Ha Hairies 08:50 Jelly Jamm 09:05 Puppy In My Pocket 09:30 The Garfield Show 09:55 Taz-Mania 10:20 Pink Panther And Pals 10:45 Dastardly And Muttley 11:10 Tom & Jerry 11:35 Scooby Doo Where Are You! 12:00 Looney Tunes 12:25 Duck Dodgers 12:50 Dexter’s Laboratory 13:00 Jelly Jamm 13:15 Baby Looney Tunes 13:40 Ha Ha Hairies 13:55 Gerald McBoing Boing 14:20 Bananas In Pyjamas 14:35 The Flintstones 15:00 Popeye 15:25 Top Cat 15:50 The Garfield Show 16:15 Pink Panther And Pals 16:40 Moomins 17:05 Tom & Jerry Tales 17:30 Taz-Mania 17:55 Looney Tunes (Hannah Barbera) 18:05 Pink Panther And Pals 18:30 The Garfield Show 18:55 Johnny Bravo 19:20 Scooby Doo Where Are You! 19:45 Dexters Laboratory 20:00 Jelly Jamm 20:15 Baby Looney Tunes 20:40 Ha Ha Hairies 20:55 Gerald McBoing Boing 21:20 Cartoonito Tales 21:35 Moomins 22:00 Scooby Doo Where Are You! 22:25 The Garfield Show 22:50 Taz-Mania 23:15 Dexter’s Laboratory 23:40 Dastardly And Muttley

00:40 Chowder 01:30 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 01:55 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 02:20 Foster’s Home For...

02:45 Foster’s Home For...

03:10 Courage The Cowardly Dog 04:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 04:25 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 04:50 Adventure Time 05:15 The Powerpuff Girls 05:40 Generator Rex 06:05 Ben 10 06:30 Ben 10 06:55 Angelo Rules 07:00 Cow & Chicken 07:30 Casper’s Scare School 08:00 Eliot Kid 08:45 Johnny Test 09:05 The Powerpuff Girls 09:55 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 10:20 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 10:45 Courage The Cowardly Dog 11:35 Grim Adventures Of...

12:25 Generator Rex 12:50 Bakugan: Mechtanium Surge 13:15 The Marvelous Misadventures...

14:05 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 14:30 Young Justice 14:55 Foster’s Home For...

15:20 Foster’s Home For...

15:45 Ben 10: Alien Force 16:10 Ben 10: Alien Force 16:35 Powerpuff Girls 17:00 Angelo Rules 17:20 Young Justice 17:40 Hero 108 18:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 18:25 The Amazing World Of Gumball 18:50 Johnny Test 19:15 Adventure Time 19:40 Regular Show 20:05 Green Lantern: The Animated Series 20:30 Ben 10 20:55 Generator Rex 21:20 Level Up

21:45 22:10 23:00 23:25 23:50

Grim Adventures Of...

Courage The Cowardly Dog Ben 10: Ultimate Alien Ben 10: Ultimate Alien The Powerpuff Girls

00:15 Dynamo: Magician Impossible 01:10 Mythbusters Dirty Dozen 02:05 Mythbusters 03:00 Mythbusters 03:55 Border Security 04:20 GI Dough 04:50 Auction Kings 05:15 How Stuff’s Made 05:40 How It’s Made 06:05 Hillbilly Handfishin’ 07:00 Wheeler Dealers 07:50 Mythbusters 08:45 Ultimate Survival 09:40 Border Security 10:05 GI Dough 10:30 How Stuff’s Made 10:55 How It’s Made 11:25 Dynamo: Magician Impossible 12:20 Mythbusters Dirty Dozen 13:15 Mythbusters 14:10 Border Security 14:35 GI Dough 15:05 Auction Kings 15:30 Ultimate Survival 16:25 Wheeler Dealers 17:20 Hillbilly Handfishin’ 18:15 Mythbusters 19:10 How Stuff’s Made 19:40 How It’s Made 20:05 Border Security - Series 6 Specials 20:35 GI Dough 21:00 Auction Kings 21:30 American Guns 22:25 Behind Bars 23:20 Chris Ryan’s Elite Police

00:40 The Gadget Show 01:05 The Tech Show 01:35 Colony 02:25 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 03:15 Mega World 04:05 Weird Connections 04:35 Colony 05:25 Prototype This 06:15 The Gadget Show 06:40 The Tech Show 07:05 The Science Of Star Wars 08:00 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 08:50 How Do They Do It? 09:15 How Do They Do It? 09:40 Head Rush 09:43 Things That Move 10:10 How Stuff’s Made 10:40 The Science Of Star Wars 11:30 The Gadget Show 11:55 The Tech Show 12:20 Mega World 13:10 Prototype This 14:00 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 14:50 Sport Science 15:45 How Do They Do It? 16:10 How Do They Do It? 16:35 Weird Connections 17:00 Head Rush 17:03 Things That Move 17:30 How Stuff’s Made 18:00 The Gadget Show 18:25 The Tech Show 18:50 Mega World 19:40 The Science Of Star Wars 20:30 Weird Or What?

21:20 Prototype This 22:10 The Gadget Show 22:35 The Tech Show 23:00 Weird Or What?

23:50 The Science Of Star Wars

00:10 00:35 01:00 01:25 01:50 02:15

Kim Possible Kim Possible Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Replacements

02:40 03:05 03:30 03:55 04:20 04:45 05:10 05:35 06:00 06:15 06:40 07:05 07:15 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:00 09:25 09:35 09:45 10:00 10:25 10:50 11:15 11:25 11:40 12:05 12:30 12:55 13:20 13:45 14:10 14:35 14:50 15:25 15:50 16:15 16:40 17:00 17:30 17:55 18:20 18:45 19:10 19:35 20:00 20:30 20:50 21:15 21:40 22:05 22:30 22:55 23:20 23:45 23:55

00:00 Programmes Start At 7:00am KSA 07:00 Kickin It 07:25 Phineas And Ferb 07:50 Ultimate Spider-Man 08:15 Bw Rival Destinies 08:40 Kick Buttowski 09:05 Zeke & Luther 09:30 I’m In The Band 09:55 Scaredy Squirrel 10:20 Fort Boyard - Ultimate Challenge 10:45 Rated A For Awesome 11:10 Aaron Stone 11:35 Rekkit Rabbit 12:00 American Dragon 12:25 Kick Buttowski 12:50 Kid vs Kat 13:20 Pair Of Kings 13:45 Zeke & Luther 14:10 Kid vs Kat 14:35 I’m In The Band 15:00 Phineas And Ferb 15:10 Phineas And Ferb 15:25 Ultimate Spider-Man 15:50 Bw Rival Destinies 16:15 Rekkit Rabbit 16:40 Pair Of Kings 17:05 Lab Rats 17:30 Kickin It 18:00 Ultimate Spider-Man 18:25 Zeke & Luther 18:50 Phineas And Ferb 19:15 Phineas And Ferb 19:40 Mr. Young 20:05 Tron: Uprising 20:30 Tron: Uprising 20:55 Scaredy Squirrel 21:20 Rated A For Awesome 21:45 Kick Buttowski 22:10 Phineas And Ferb 22:20 Phineas And Ferb 22:35 Ultimate Spider-Man 23:05 Pair Of Kings 23:30 Kid vs Kat

00:30 01:25 01:50 02:20 03:15 04:10 05:05 06:00 06:55 08:00 08:25 08:55 09:20 09:50 10:15 10:45 11:40 12:05 12:35 13:30 14:25 15:20 16:15 16:40 17:10 17:35 18:05 18:30 19:00 19:55 20:50 21:45 22:40 23:35

ROLLERBALL ON OSN ACTION HD

Emperor’s New School Emperor’s New School Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Replacements Kim Possible Kim Possible Phineas And Ferb Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck Fish Hooks Fish Hooks Recess So Random Good Luck Charlie Doc McStuffins Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Hive Mouk Jonas So Random Hannah Montana Fish Hooks Fish Hooks Kim Possible Shake It Up Wizards Of Waverly Place Phineas And Ferb Hannah Montana So Random Suite Life On Deck Fish Hooks Fish Hooks Shake It Up Austin And Ally Jessie A.N.T. Farm Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Suite Life On Deck Austin And Ally Phineas And Ferb A.N.T. Farm Good Luck Charlie Jessie That’s So Raven Cory In The House Kim Possible Hannah Montana Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Fish Hooks Fish Hooks

00:15 00:40 01:05 01:30 01:55 02:20 02:45 03:10 03:35 04:00 04:25

M1 Challenge Fantasy Factory Fantasy Factory Pro Bull Riders 2011 World Combat League Enfusion Monster Jam M1 Challenge Pro Bull Riders 2011 Ride Guide Snow 2009 Ride Guide Snow 2009 X-Traordinary X-Traordinary Ticket To Ride – 6 2012 Ticket To Ride – 6 2012 AMA Motocross 2011 Fantasy Factory Fantasy Factory Pro Bull Riders 2011 Mantracker Danger Men World Combat League Fantasy Factory Fantasy Factory X-Traordinary X-Traordinary Ticket To Ride – 6 2012 Ticket To Ride – 6 2012 Mantracker Pro Bull Riders 2011 Danger Men World Combat League Monster Jam Enfusion

Have Cake, Will Travel Guy’s Big Bite Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Heat Seekers Charly’s Cake Angels Charly’s Cake Angels Unique Sweets Unique Sweets Have Cake, Will Travel Have Cake, Will Travel Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives

04:50 Heat Seekers 05:15 Guy’s Big Bite 05:40 Grill It! With Bobby Flay 06:05 Unwrapped 06:30 Iron Chef America 07:10 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 07:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 08:00 Food Network Challenge 08:50 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 09:15 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 09:40 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 10:05 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 10:30 Kelsey’s Essentials 10:55 Cooking For Real 11:20 Cooking For Real 11:45 Food Crafters 12:10 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 12:35 Heat Seekers 13:00 Iron Chef America 13:50 Guy’s Big Bite 14:15 Cooking For Real 14:40 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 15:05 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 15:30 Food Crafters 15:55 Unique Eats 16:20 Unique Eats 16:45 Chopped 17:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 18:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 18:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:50 Heat Seekers 19:15 Guy’s Big Bite 19:40 Unique Eats 20:05 Unique Eats 20:30 Chopped 21:20 Iron Chef America 22:10 Food Crafters 22:35 Food Crafters 23:00 Unique Eats 23:25 Unique Eats 23:50 Unwrapped

JOHN CARTER ON OSN CINEMA 00:15 00:45 01:40 02:05 02:35 03:00 03:30 03:55 04:25 05:20 05:45 06:15 06:40 07:10 07:35 08:05 09:00 09:25 09:55 10:20 10:50 11:15 11:45 12:40 13:05 13:35 14:00 14:30 14:55 15:25 16:20 16:45 17:15 17:40 18:10 18:35 19:05 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:25 22:55 23:20 23:50

Pressure Cook Long Way Down Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue Danger Beach Into The Drink Perilous Journeys Into The Drink Into The Drink David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3 David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3 Pressure Cook Pressure Cook Long Way Down Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue Danger Beach Into The Drink Perilous Journeys The Green Way Up The Green Way Up David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 4 Pressure Cook Pressure Cook Long Way Down Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue Danger Beach Into The Drink Perilous Journeys Pressure Cook Pressure Cook David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 4 Into The Drink Into The Drink David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3 David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3 David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Alaska State Troopers China’s Mystery Mummies Hubble’s Final Frontier Sea Patrol Striker!

World’s Deadliest Animals Sea Patrol Trapped Alaska State Troopers China’s Mystery Mummies Hubble’s Final Frontier Sea Patrol Bizarre Dinos World’s Deadliest Animals Sea Patrol Trapped Alaska Wing Men China Circus China Circus Nomads Kangaroo Kaos World’s Deadliest Animals Nomads Trapped

00:00 01:00 01:55 02:50 03:45 04:40 05:35 06:30 07:25 08:20 09:15 10:10 11:05 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Hunter Hunted Spine Chillers: Scorpions Wild Mississippi Unlikely Animal Friends Freaks & Creeps Nordic Wild Tiger Queen Wild Mississippi Unlikely Animal Friends Freaks & Creeps Dangerous Encounters Fish Warrior America’s Greatest Animals Wild Russia Lady With 700 Cats, The Unlikely Animal Friends Dangerous Encounters Fish Warrior Maneater Manhunt Wild Mississippi Unlikely Animal Friends Freaks & Creeps Dangerous Encounters Fish Warrior

00:00 The Shining-R 02:00 Monsters-PG15 04:00 Tupac: Resurrection-18 06:00 Transporter 2-PG15 08:00 Hurricane Season-PG15 10:00 True Justice: Violence Of Action-PG15 12:00 Rocky v-PG15 14:00 Hurricane Season-PG15 16:00 The Rocketeer-PG15 18:00 Rocky v-PG15 20:00 Rollerball-18 22:00 The Godfather III-18

01:00 An Invisible Sign Of My OwnPG15 03:00 Muhammad And Larry-PG15 05:00 Every Jack Has A Jill-PG15 07:00 Certain Prey-PG15 09:00 An Invisible Sign Of My OwnPG15 11:00 John Carter-PG15 13:30 Marley & Me: The Puppy YearsPG 15:15 Once Brothers-PG15 17:00 Cars 2-FAM 19:00 Attack The Block-PG15 21:00 Judy Moody And The Not Bummer Summer-PG15 23:00 MacGruber-18

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Enlightened 02:00 Hung 02:30 Family Guy 03:00 How I Met Your Mother 03:30 Last Man Standing 04:00 Samantha Who? 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 06:30 Friends 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Samantha Who? 08:30 How I Met Your Mother 10:00 Modern Family 10:30 The Office 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Friends 12:30 Samantha Who? 14:00 Last Man Standing 14:30 The Office 15:00 Modern Family 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Friends 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 How I Met Your Mother 19:00 Two And A Half Men 19:30 The Office 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Bored To Death 22:30 Veep 23:00 Family Guy 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 22:00

Body Of Proof Combat Hospital Smash Downton Abbey Bunheads Warehouse 13 Body Of Proof Emmerdale Coronation Street White Collar Smash Combat Hospital Bunheads Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show White Collar Body Of Proof Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show White Collar Necessary Roughness The X Factor U.S. Smash

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Carriers-PG15 Circle Of Eight-18 Lords Of Dogtown-PG15 Kick-Ass-18 Dangerous Flowers-PG15 Lords Of Dogtown-PG15 Stool Pigeon-PG15 Dangerous Flowers-PG15 The Warrior’s Way-PG15 The Hit List-18 Chain Letter-R Hell-18

00:00 Zero Effect-PG15 02:00 Leaves Of Grass-PG15 04:00 Baby Geniuses-PG 06:00 Life As We Know It-PG15 08:00 The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy-PG 10:00 Wayne’s World 2-PG15 12:00 Melinda And Melinda-PG15 14:00 The Marc Pease ExperiencePG15 16:00 Wayne’s World 2-PG15 18:00 The Banger Sisters-PG15 20:00 Friday After Next-18 22:00 The Switch-18

00:00 01:45 03:45 06:45 08:30 10:00 11:45 13:45 15:45 17:30 19:15 21:30 23:30

All Good Things-18 Wild At Heart-18 Hindenburg-PG15 Dragonfly-PG15 Love The Beast-PG Le Syndrome Du Titanic-PG15 Patriot Games-PG15 Jane Eyre-PG15 Le Syndrome Du Titanic-PG15 Certified Copy-PG15 The Alamo-PG15 The Associate-PG15 Flight Of The Phoenix-PG15

01:00 Hindenburg-PG15 04:00 What’s The Worst That Could Happen?-PG15 05:45 The LXD: The Uprising BeginsPG15 07:15 The LXD: Secrets Of The RaPG15 09:00 B-Girl-PG15 11:00 The Prince And Me 4: The Elephant Adventure-PG15 13:00 Three Inches-PG15 15:00 Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story-PG 17:00 B-Girl-PG15 19:00 Green Lantern-PG15 21:00 Judy Moody And The Not Bummer Summer-PG15 23:00 Red Riding Hood-PG15

01:00 The Ugly Duckling In The Enchanted Forest-FAM 02:45 Good Boy!-PG 04:30 Moomins And The Comet Chase-FAM 06:00 The Ugly Duckling In The Enchanted Forest-FAM 08:00 D’fenders-PG 10:00 Puss In Boots-PG 11:30 The Nutty Professor-FAM 13:00 Little Einsteins: Rocket’s Firebird Rescue-FAM 14:30 Good Boy!-PG 16:00 Olentzero And The Magic Log-FAM 18:00 Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs.

Evil-PG 20:00 Puss In Boots-PG 22:00 Little Einsteins: Rocket’s Firebird Rescue-FAM 23:30 Olentzero And The Magic Log-FAM

00:00 Brighton Rock-PG15 02:00 Bright Star-PG15 04:00 12 Dates Of Christmas-PG15 06:00 Tomorrow, When The War Began-PG15 08:00 Bound By A Secret-PG15 10:00 Freakonomics-PG15 12:00 Red-PG15 14:00 The Tender Hook-PG15 16:00 Bound By A Secret-PG15

17:30 The Help-PG15 20:00 The Debt-18 22:00 Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans-18

00:30 Trans World Sport 01:30 Extreme Sailing Series 03:30 Rugby Union International 05:30 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 07:00 PGA European Tour 12:30 The Ryder Cup 14:00 Trans World Sport 15:00 Rugby Union International 17:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 18:00 Futbol Mundial 18:30 Trans World Sport 19:30 PGA European Tour Weekly 20:00 Premier League Snooker 23:30 PGA European Tour Weekly

00:00 Futbol Mundial 00:30 Rugby Union International 04:30 ICC Cricket 360 05:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 06:00 Trans World Sport 07:00 Grand Slam of Darts 09:00 Rugby Union International 11:00 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 12:30 ICC Cricket 360 13:00 Rugby Union International 15:00 Premier League Snooker 18:30 PGA European Tour Highlights 19:30 NFL Gameday 20:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter

00:30 ITU World Triathlon 03:00 Golfing World 04:00 Mass Participation 06:30 PGA European Tour Weekly 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 Trans World Sport 09:00 Futbol Mundial 09:30 Mass Participation 12:00 Total Rugby 12:30 Ladies European Tour Highlights 13:30 Golfing World 14:30 Futbol Mundial 15:00 ITU World Triathlon 17:30 Mass Participation 19:30 Mass Participation 20:00 AFL Highlights 21:00 Golfing World 22:00 Total Rugby 22:30 Futbol Mundial 23:00 Rugby Union International

01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 view 17:30 18:30 19:00 20:00 23:00

UFC The Ultimate Fighter V8 Supercars Highlights V8 Supercars Highlights UFC Unleashed WWE SmackDown NHL UAE National Race Day Series V8 Supercars Extra WWE Experience WWE Vintage Collection WWE Bottom Line V8 Supercars Highlights V8 Supercars Highlights European Le Mans Series pre-

00:45 02:40 PG 04:35 06:25 08:00 09:55 PG 11:45 13:20 15:15 16:45 18:10 19:35 21:15

The V.I.P.S-FAM Somebody Up There Likes Me-

European Le Mans Series European Le Mans Series WWE NXT Prizefighter UFC The Ultimate Fighter

White Heat-PG Never Let Me Go-FAM Boom Town-PG Two Weeks In Another TownInvitation To The Dance-FAM Young Bess-FAM The Outriders-FAM G-Men-FAM Seven Women-PG Skyjacked-PG Hearts Of The West-PG

Classifieds THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

FOR SALE Executive Office Tables, Cabinets, Chairs, Salon Facial Beds, Massage Bed, Steamer, Beauty Studios, and many more. Contact: 66711141 / 66711140.

27-11-2012 Golden chance Nissan TIIDA HB 1.8 SL 2011, 13,600 km only, full option, power warranty 5 year open mileage, like showroom, 1st owner, mostly lady driven, price KD 3,800/-. Contact: 66489351. (C 4229)

tor or highly qualified girl age not more than 27 years can contact at email: shah-54@hotmail.com (C 4232) 26-11-2012 Proposals invited for a girl God-fearing (Marthomite, 27 yrs/166cm, B.Sc nurse), working in Kuwait MOH. Professionally qualified boys can contact varghese.aaron@yahoo.com (C 4227) 24-11-2012

ACCOMMODATION MATRIMONIAL Proposals invited for a beautiful girl, aged 28 years, height 164 cms, belonging to Malankara Catholic denomination, working with MOH Kuwait as B.Sc nurse and shortly moving to Kerala on annual vacation. Email: bijily92@gmail.com (C 4231) Proposal invited for my son MBBS Doctor, a Pakistani working in Kuwait from parents of Pakistani lady doc-

For bachelor or couple Filipino only near Gulfmart Farwaniya, block 1.

Available on December 25, 2012. Contact: 94418396.

29-11-2012

CHANGE OF NAME I, Wahid Hussain, s/o Abdul Hakim Ansari, Vill & PO. Nawada, P/S Barauli, Dist.

Gopal Ganj, Bihar, India, is declaring that my name, Vahid Husen Abdul Hakim Ansari (Surname to Given

name order), written in my Passport (No. K7916220) is wrong. The correct name is Wahid Hussain. (C 4233) 26-11-2012 I, Taza, s/o Shabbir Husain Raswala, holder of Indian Passport No. J0977787 have changed my name to Murtaza Shabbir Husain Raswala. (C 4228)

Learn Holy Quran in prefect way, private tuition available for elders and children,

by Hafiz-e-Quran. Contact: 66725950. (C 4225) 21-11-2012

I, Rolina Furtado Passport No. J5391581 have changed my name to Roulina Baigustavina Rubiana Santana Godinho.

(C 4230) 22-11-2012

Wanted house driver, 3-5 years driving experience in Kuwait, 20-30 years old, speak and read English, Indian or Sri Lankan.

Contact: 99747679.

(C 4234)

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw

No: 15642

112

SITUATION WANTED Western educated “Project Manager ” with 2 Engineering-Degrees (Civil/Elec.), 4-Master Degrees (Project Mgmt/ Engineering/ Education & Training/ MBA), plus 17years experience in Middle East/ Australia, seeking Executive Position. Contact: 65695468 email: rav@engineer.com (C 4195) 23-11-2012

SITUATION VACANT

TUITION

Prayer timings Fajr:

05:00

Shorook

06:23

Duhr:

11:36

Asr:

14:30

Maghrib:

16:50

Isha:

18:11

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JAI THY JZR JZR QTR SAI ETH GFA UAE ETD QTR FDB MSR DHX THY JZR JZR JZR BAW KAC KAC KAC KAC FDB IRA KAC IRA KAC UAE KAC GFA IZG ABY QTR FDB ETD GFA BAB JZR MSC MEA MSR UAE SYR GFA FDB KNE KAC KAC SVA QTR JZR KNE QTR

Arrival Flights on Thursday 29/11/2012 Flt Route 574 MUMBAI 772 ISTANBUL 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 148 DOHA 441 LAHORE 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 138 DOHA 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 170 BAHRAIN 770 ISTANBUL 503 LUXOR 555 ALEXANDRIA 529 ASSIUT 157 LONDON 412 MANILA 536 COCHIN 206 ISLAMABAD 382 DELHI 53 DUBAI 605 ISFAHAN 302 MUMBAI 617 AHWAZ 332 TRIVANDRUM 855 DUBAI 284 DHAKA 223 BAHRAIN 4161 MASHAD 121 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 213 BAHRAIN 436 BAHRAIN 165 DUBAI 403 ASSIUT 404 BEIRUT 610 CAIRO 871 DUBAI 341 DAMASCUS 219 BAHRAIN 57 DUBAI 472 JEDDAH 546 ALEXANDRIA 672 DUBAI 500 JEDDAH 140 DOHA 257 BEIRUT 470 JEDDAH 134 DOHA

Time 0:30 0:35 0:45 0:50 1:00 1:30 1:45 1:50 2:35 2:45 3:01 3:05 3:10 5:15 5:30 5:55 6:00 6:35 6:40 6:45 7:35 7:40 7:45 7:45 7:50 7:55 7:55 8:15 8:40 8:45 8:45 8:50 9:05 9:10 9:15 9:20 9:55 10:05 11:20 11:35 11:55 12:45 12:50 12:55 13:35 13:50 14:10 14:15 14:15 14:30 14:45 15:05 15:10 15:30

OMA JZR KNE KAC UAE QTR ETD RJA GFA SVA KAC JZR QTR ABY UAL KAC JZR RBG KAC TAR BAB FDB MSC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC OMA FDB JAI AXB MSC MSR JZR ABY QTR ALK KAC MEA QTR GFA ETD UAE JZR JAI FDB DHX AIC JZR GFA JZR UAL BBC DLH

645 535 474 118 857 6130 303 640 215 510 502 777 144 127 982 542 177 3553 786 327 438 63 405 176 618 104 674 774 647 61 572 393 401 618 189 129 146 229 562 402 136 221 307 859 135 576 59 372 981 239 217 185 981 43 636

MUSCAT CAIRO JEDDAH NEW YORK DUBAI DOHA ABU DHABI AMMAN BAHRAIN RIYADH BEIRUT JEDDAH DOHA SHARJAH WASHINGTON DC DULLES CAIRO DUBAI ALEXANDRIA JEDDAH TUNIS BAHRAIN DUBAI SOHAG GENEVA DOHA LONDON DUBAI RIYADH MUSCAT DUBAI MUMBAI KOZHIKODE ALEXANDRIA ALEXANDRIA DUBAI SHARJAH DOHA COLOMBO AMMAN BEIRUT DOHA BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN COCHIN DUBAI BAHRAIN CHENNAI AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN DHAKA FRANKFURT

15:40 16:25 16:30 16:35 16:40 16:50 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:40 17:45 17:50 17:55 17:55 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:30 18:35 18:40 18:45 19:00 19:15 19:20 19:35 19:35 19:50 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:20 20:25 20:30 20:35 20:45 20:55 21:05 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:50 21:55 22:00 22:00 22:30 22:45 22:50 23:05 23:25 23:45 23:55

Airlines AIC AXB UAL DLH JAI SAI ETH THY FDB UAE ETD MSR QTR QTR JZR JZR GFA KAC THY FDB BAW IRA IRA JZR JZR KAC GFA KAC ABY UAE FDB ETD IZG QTR GFA BAB KAC KAC KAC JZR MSC MEA KAC MSR JZR SYR UAE GFA FDB KAC KNE KAC KAC SVA

Departure Flights on Thursday 29/11/2012 Flt Route 976 GOA/CHENNAI 390 MANGALORE 981 WASHINGTON 637 FRANKFURT 573 MUMBAI 442 LAHORE 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 164 DUBAI 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 545 ALEXANDRIA 771 ISTANBUL 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 606 MASHHAD 616 AHWAZ 256 BEIRUT 534 CAIRO 101 LONDON 224 BAHRAIN 671 DUBAI 122 SHARJAH 856 DUBAI 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 4162 MASHHAD 133 DOHA 214 BAHRAIN 437 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 501 BEIRUT 165 ROME 776 JEDDAH 406 SOHAG 405 BEIRUT 785 JEDDAH 611 CAIRO 176 DUBAI 342 DAMASCUS 872 DUBAI 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI 673 DUBAI 473 JEDDAH 561 AMMAN 617 DOHA 505 JEDDAH

Time 0:05 0:15 1:10 1:20 1:30 2:30 2:45 2:55 3:45 3:50 4:00 4:10 4:50 6:05 6:55 6:55 7:00 7:30 7:35 8:25 8:45 8:50 8:55 9:05 9:15 9:20 9:30 9:40 9:45 9:55 10:00 10:05 10:15 10:30 10:40 10:50 11:30 11:45 11:50 12:15 12:35 12:55 13:00 13:45 13:50 13:55 14:15 14:20 14:30 15:05 15:10 15:40 15:45 16:00

JZR KNE QTR KAC OMA JZR KNE ETD JZR QTR UAE RJA GFA QTR JZR SVA ABY JZR QTR RBG JZR UAL TAR FDB BAB MSC KAC FDB KAC KAC OMA JAI AXB ABY KAC MSC MSR KAC DHX ALK MEA ETD QTR GFA KAC FDB JZR UAE JAI DHX KAC QTR GFA JZR KAC KAC

188 471 141 773 646 238 475 304 538 135 858 641 216 6131 184 511 128 266 145 3554 134 982 328 64 439 404 283 62 351 331 648 571 394 120 343 402 619 543 171 230 403 308 137 222 361 60 554 860 575 373 205 147 218 528 411 415

DUBAI JEDDAH DOHA RIYADH MUSCAT AMMAN JEDDAH ABU DHABI CAIRO DOHA DUBAI AMMAN BAHRAIN DOHA DUBAI RIYADH SHARJAH BEIRUT DOHA ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN TUNIS DUBAI BAHRAIN ASSIUT DHAKA DUBAI KOCHI TRIVANDRUM MUSCAT MUMBAI KOZHIKODE SHARJAH CHENNAI ALEXANDRIA ALEXANDRIA CAIRO BAHRAIN COLOMBO BEIRUT ABU DHABI DOHA BAHRAIN MUSCAT DUBAI ALEXANDRIA DUBAI KOCHI BAHRAIN ISLAMABAD DOHA BAHRAIN ASSIUT BANGKOK KUALA LUMPUR

16:05 16:10 16:15 16:25 16:40 17:15 17:30 17:35 17:40 17:45 17:50 17:55 18:15 18:20 18:30 18:35 18:40 18:45 18:50 19:00 19:05 19:10 19:25 19:25 19:30 20:00 20:30 20:40 20:45 20:55 20:55 21:10 21:15 21:15 21:15 21:20 21:25 21:40 21:50 21:55 22:20 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:40 22:40 22:45 22:50 22:55 23:00 23:00 23:10 23:50 23:50 23:55 23:55

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

i n f o r m at i o n For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 GOVERNORATE Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Kaizen center

25716707

Rawda

22517733

Adaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Kaifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salem

22549134

Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Qadsiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Gar

22531908

Shaab

22518752

Qibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Hawally

ST TAT TE OF KUW K WA AIT

Te el.: 161

DIRECTORA ATE T GENERAL GENE OF CIVIL AV VIA ATION T METEOROLOGICAL DEP PARTMENT A DA AY Y: Wednesday e

WWW.MET.GOV V..KW

28/11/2012

BY Y DA AY:

Cool with light to moderate north westerly wind, with speed of 12 - 35 km/h and some high clouds will apap pear later on

BY Y NIGHT:

Partly cloudy with light to moderate north westerly wind, with speed of 10 - 32 km/h

No Current Waarnings arnin

WA ARNING

20 °C

15 °C

22451082

KUW WA AIT AIRPOR RT

21 °C

11 °C

Mirqab

22456536

NUW WA AISEEB

23 °C

13 °C

Sharq

22465401

WA AFRA

22 °C

11 °C

Salmiya

25746401

SALMI

22 °C

10 °C

ABDAL LY

21 °C

11 °C

Jabriya

25316254

JAL ALIY YA AH

19 °C

11 °C

Maidan Hawally

25623444

FAILAKA A

20 °C

14 °C

Bayan

25388462

AHMADI POR RT

20 °C

16 °C

Mishref

25381200

UMM AL-MARADEM

21 °C

19 °C

W Hawally

22630786

WA ARBA A - BUBY YAN A

19 °C

10 °C

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

ST TATION T

28/11/2012 0000 UTC

Temperatures DA AY

DA ATE T

WEA ATHER T

MAX.

MIN.

Wind Direction

Wind Speed

29/11

partly cloudy

22 °C

12 °C

NW

15 - 35 km/h

sunny

21 °C

12 °C

NW

12 - 35 km/h

Mostly Sunny

21 °C

10 °C

NW

12 - 32 km/h

20 °C

10 °C

NW

12 - 32 km/h

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

Friday

30/11

South Jahra

24775066

Saturday

01/12

North Jahra

24775992

Sunday

02/12

Mostly Sunny

North Jleeb

24311795

Fintas

SFC. CHART

4 DA AY YS FORECAST

New Jahra

N Khaitan

Thursday

PRA RA AYER Y TIMES

RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WAIT A AIRPORT

Fajr

04:59

MAX. Temp.

20 °C

Sunrise

06:23

MIN. Temp.

13 °C 93 %

24884079 24892674

Zuhr

11:36

MAX. RH

24719048

Asr

14:30

MIN. RH

47 %

Sunset

16:49

MAX. Wind

N 39 km/h

Isha

18:11

TOT TAL AL RAIINF FALL A L IN 24 HR.

24710044

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

23900322

00 mm

28/11/12 02:19 UTC

V1.00

T1.06

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Dr. Salem soso General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Mousa Khadada Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Kaizen center 25716707

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Faiha

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

Al-Jahra

25610011

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Expected Weeather for the Next 24 Hours

KUW WA AIT CITY

Omariya

Al-Shuhada

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

07:00

Issue Time

MIN. REC.

Firdous

Ext.: 2627 262 - 2630

22418714

Fax: 24348714

MAX. EXP P.

Ardhiya

PHONE

Al-Madeena

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan 0093 Albania 00355 Algeria 00213 Andorra 00376 Angola 00244 Anguilla 001264 Antiga 001268 Argentina 0054 Armenia 00374 Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Bahamas 001242 Bahrain 00973 Bangladesh 00880 Barbados 001246 Belarus 00375 Belgium 0032 Belize 00501 Benin 00229 Bermuda 001441 Bhutan 00975 Bolivia 00591 Bosnia 00387 Botswana 00267 Brazil 0055 Brunei 00673 Bulgaria 00359 Burkina 00226 Burundi 00257 Cambodia 00855 Cameroon 00237 Canada 001 Cape Verde 00238 Cayman Islands 001345 Central African 00236 Chad 00235 Chile 0056 China 0086 Colombia 0057 Comoros 00269 Congo 00242 Cook Islands 00682 Costa Rica 00506 Croatia 00385 Cuba 0053 Cyprus 00357 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Czech Republic 00420 Denmark 0045 Diego Garcia 00246 Djibouti 00253 Dominica 001767 Dominican Republic 001809 Ecuador 00593 Egypt 0020 El Salvador 00503 England (UK) 0044 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Eritrea 00291 Estonia 00372 Ethiopia 00251 Falkland Islands 00500 Faroe Islands 00298 Fiji 00679 Finland 00358 France 0033 French Guiana 00594 French Polynesia 00689 Gabon 00241 Gambia 00220 Georgia 00995 Germany 0049 Ghana 00233 Gibraltar 00350 Greece 0030 Greenland 00299 Grenada 001473 Guadeloupe 00590 Guam 001671 Guatemala 00502 Guinea 00224 Guyana 00592 Haiti 00509 Holland (Netherlands) 0031 Honduras 00504 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Iceland 00354 India 0091 Indian Ocean 00873 Indonesia 0062

Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686 Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland) 0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK) 0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Alleged stalker of Alec Baldwin rearrested n aspiring Canadian actress accused of stalking US television star Alec Baldwin was arrested Tuesday in New York right after a court hearing. Genevieve Sabourin’s re-arrest came minutes after a chaotic hearing in which her lawyer quit her case, saying they could not work together.

The lawyer, Maurice Sercarz, said she’d taken to arguing her case on Twitter and television “contrary to my advice. He also cited “her unwillingness to negotiate.” Sabourin was led away in handcuffs, saying she did not know why she was being detained. However, New York media reports quoted

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sources saying she is accused of violating a court order telling her to keep away from Baldwin, who is the star of the television series “30 Rock”. Some of her tweets have mentioned Baldwin and his wife, a yoga instructor. Baldwin filed stalking charges against Sabourin earlier this year, accusing her of sending love-struck emails, asking him to marry her and showing up uninvited at his Manhattan apartment.

Sabourin, who was arrested on April 8 and detained for 36 hours, said the stalking allegations were part of a “misunderstanding.”

Jessica Simpson is pregnant again he ‘Fashion Star’ mentor and fiance Eric Johnson are set to have their second baby together just seven months after Jessica gave birth to their daughter, Maxwell Drew Johnson, on May 1. A source told Us Weekly magazine: “It definitely wasn’t planned. But yes, Jessica is pregnant again.” Jessica, 32, has previously said of her daughter: “Motherhood is a dream, it really is absolutely amazing.” The former singer has been engaged to NFL player Eric, 33, for two years, and it was rumored they had been planning to tie the knot in Italy next year. Shortly after giving birth, Jessica was named the face of slimming brand Weight Watchers, and had been working hard with trainer Hayley Pasternak to lose some of the 60lbs she gained during her first pregnancy. She said at the time: “I think anybody who’s gone through a pregnancy, after they have the baby, it’s like, ‘I need to do something about this.’“For me, I really want to do something that is a lifestyle, because in the past, I’ve been known to yo-yo diet.”

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Minaj has branded Tyler ‘racist’ icki Minaj has branded Steven Tyler ‘racist’. The ‘American Idol’ judge has hit out at the Aerosmith rocker - who she replaced on the panel of the talent show - after he questioned her suitability as a panelist and claimed she would’ve passed on legendary musician Bob Dylan if he auditioned for the program, prompting furious Nicki to blast his comment. She tweeted: “Steven Tyler said I would have sent Bob Dylan to a cornfield???

Steven, you haven’t seen me judge one single solitary contestant yet. “I understand you really wanted to keep your job but take that up with the producers. I haven’t done anything to you. That’s a racist comment. “You assume that I wouldn’t have liked Bob Dylan??? why? black? rapper? what? Worry about yourself babe. LOL lets make him a shirt that says ‘No Coloreds Allowed’ (sic)” Nicki - who was appointed to the panel with Mariah Carey and Keith Urban following the departure of Steven and Jennifer Lopez thinks the ‘Crazy’ hitmaker should have been more understanding because of the backlash he received when he joined the show. She wrote: “When Steven 1st went on Idol he was ridiculed by his peers & fans alike. Called a sell out.

So what does he do? Ridicule the next judge. (sic)” Steven had claimed that he, Jennifer and remaining judge Randy Jackson - the only original panelist had got the “best out of” auditionees, but he was unsure the new panel will be able to do the same.

He said: “These kids, they just got out of a car from the Midwest somewhere and they’re in New York City, they’re scared to death; you’re not going to get the best [out of them]. ...

If it was Bob Dylan, Nicki Minaj would have had him sent to the cornfield!

Whereas, if it was Bob Dylan with us, we would have brought the best of him out, as we did with Phillip Phillips. Just saying.”

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Khloe Photoshopped into Christmas card hloe Kardashian was Photoshopped into her family Christmas card. The 28-year-old reality starlet was unable to attend the photoshoot for the annual Kardashian-Jenner holiday card, and so she and husband Lamar Odom, 33, had to be added in later with the help of some computer wizardry.

Appearing on Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show, Khloe said: “We pretend that we’re always together. The powers of cameras and Photoshop.” The ‘X Factor’ USA host’s younger half-sister Kendall Jenner, 17, had to be digitally added to the picture, too, as she was sick, as did Kourtney Kardashian’s partner, Scott Disick, 29. Khloe’s husband Lamar - who plays for the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team - also missed last year’s dazzling 3D Christmas card shoot because he had a game. She said: “That one we were all in but Lamar was Photoshopped because he had a game. It’s hard with his NBA schedule. Damn men with a career!” When they are able to coordinate schedules, however, Khloe says Christmas is always a big family affair, though it can get crowded in the Kardashian household. She told Ellen: “Every Christmas, we’re always together. Step-brothers, sisters, everything. All 10 kids and then everyone’s extended girlfriend, boyfriend, this, that...” Khloe added as the Kardashian siblings have gotten older and had more serious relationships, the cast of characters at Christmas largely remains the same - though she is surprised Scott - who has children Mason, two, and four-month-old Penelope with Khloe - is still a part of the family. She said: “Now we’re sticking together. Who knew, I’m surprised Scott’s still around, but he’s here.”

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n American author sued the prolific filmmaker Tyler Perry in a federal court on Tuesday, accusing him of lifting the plot of his 2012 movie, “Good Deeds,” from her book. Terri Donald, who also writes under the pseudonym TLO Red’ness, says Perry based the film on her 2007 book, “Bad Apples Can Be Good Fruit.” The lawsuit, filed in Philadelphia, says Donald sent a copy of her book to Perry’s company before production on the movie began. Donald is seeking $225,000 in initial damages as well as an injunction requiring the company to add a credit for her book in the opening and closing credits. The lawsuit also calls for the company to provide an accounting of the movie’s revenues. The drama, which stars Perry as a wealthy businessman who meets a struggling single mother, earned approximately $35 million at the box office after its February release. Representatives for Perry and Lions Gate Entertainment, which released the film and is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit, did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday. Perry is best known for his portrayal in drag of the character Madea in several of his films.

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Nicholson selling off blaze site ack Nicholson is selling a plot of land where his house burned down. ‘The Departed’ actor’s 1,300-square-foot Hollywood Hills house went up in flames back in September 2011, and the damage was so bad he razed the plot with a bulldozer. The plot is listed at $595,000, TMZ reports.

Before the fire Jack - estimated to be worth some $400 million - had been renting out the property which stood on it. He originally bought the plot in 1975 for just $49,000, so could stand to make a considerable profit. Jack, 75, is not the only actor who’s had trouble with their house burning down recently. Robert De Niro and his wife Grace Hightower were left homeless by a fire at their home in Central West Park, New York City, caused by a lint build-up in their clothes dryer at the couple’s luxury apartment. As a thank you to the firefighters who tackled the blaze, the couple laid on lunch from Robert’s Tribeca Grill restaurant and hung out with them. A source said: “Robert De Niro took pictures with the guys, and got a full tour of the firehouse. “The food was a huge spread with two servers, meatballs, eggplant sandwiches and more.”

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Hagman to be honored on Dallas’ set arry Hagman will be commemorated on the set of ‘Dallas’. The 81-year-old actor - who passed away from ongoing complications in his battle with throat cancer on Friday - will be honored with a public service at the US soap’s Southfork Ranch on December 2, which was home to his villainous alter-ego J.R. Ewing and his family. Larry’s long-term manager and close friend Gene Yusem confirmed to MailOnline: “It sounds like it will happen and I wouldn’t be surprised if it does. “Larry had such a great sense of humor, he would have loved it.” Fans of the actor who secure a spot at the public memorial will also be able

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US author sues Perry over plot of 2012 film

to go on a tour of the ranch ahead of the service. Larry’s manager John Catalonia revealed the actor will be honored with two further private services in Texas and California next week. John said: “There will not be an official burial site for Mr Hagman.” While the ‘I Dream of Jeannie’ star’s ashes were expected to be scattered on the set of ‘Dallas’ and at various locations around the world, his son Preston says such an announcement is “premature”. He explained: “Right now we are going to be keeping his ashes within the family and we are going to wait for my mother to pass on so they can be together.” —Agencies

LaBeouf dating co-star Goth S

hia LaBeouf is reportedly dating his ‘Nymphomaniac’ co-star Mia Goth. The actor has fallen for edgy 19-year-old Mia - who is seven years his junior after meeting on the set of Lars Von Trier’s controversial new film not long after splitting with his girlfriend Karolyn Phoav, and the romance is said to be going well. A source said: “They’ve kept their relationship under wraps, but they pretty much started dating after he broke off things with Karolyn a few months ago. Shia and Karolyn had a volatile relationship and it came to a head just before he began filming ‘Nymphomaniac’. “They’re already spending a lot of time together, not just with work, but also have been hitting the town. Mia has made Shia very happy and he’s certainly found a party buddy for the time being.” The pair bonded over their mutual interests and Shia has even met his new girlfriend’s parents. A source told RadarOnline.com: “He got to know Mia on set and quickly became enamored of her. They have similar interests, they love alternative music, thrift stores and she is edgy and funny, which Shia loves. “While they obviously don’t want to rush into things, Shia has already met Mia’s parents in London, which is where she is from.” The new couple were spotted looking comfortable with one another last Wednesday in Los Angeles and days later, Shia was caught in the middle of an explosive bust up with Karolyn this Monday , with the brunette beauty seen shouting and screaming in the street. Karolyn is said to have called things off because she was nervous about Shia being contracted to perform real sex acts in his new film about the debauched past of a sex addict.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

lifestyle F E A T U R E S

Ten Muhr Emirati competition finalists unveiled ith Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) just around the corner, the UAE will see a huge variety of international and regional films however the Emirati submissions reinforce that homegrown talent will be at the forefront during the Festival. Ten films from pioneering Emirati filmmakers, of which six are World Premieres, have been revealed as finalists for the hotly contested Muhr Emirati competition.

DIFF’s Artistic Director Masoud Amralla Al Ali commented: “The Muhr Emirati program celebrates the artistic accomplishments of Emirati filmmakers and provides a platform to showcase UAE film to an international audience. We are delighted to welcome a diverse selection of quality films for our Muhr Emirati competition and hope that the program provides a step towards building dynamic careers for participating Emirati filmmakers and also inspire a new generation of filmmakers across the Nation.”

Artist, published author and 2010 Muhr Emirati nomi-

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nee Muna Al Ali’s returns to the competition with Durbeen, an exploration of how our lives are influenced by the way we view the world. In the same vein, the drama Life Spray

by Fatma Abdulla Al Nayeh, the Gulf Film Festivals’ Best Emerging Talent winner, follows a young girl as she prepares for the biggest day of her life; her wedding.

Amal Al-Agroobi’s World Premiere of Half Emirati explores the lives of Five Emirati nationals of mixed parentage sharing their experiences and stories about what it is really like to be among those who are born to Emirati parents. We explore what society’s expectations are of them and whether they are really ever accepted into the culture to which they are expected to belong.

In an exploration of complex human connections, Juma Al Sahli will participate in the Muhr Emirati program with his hard-hitting drama The Goat’s Head, which focuses on a woman’s plight to find her voice in a dominant male society.

Filmmaker Mansoor Al Dhaheri is no stranger to the fes-

tival circuit having screened earlier work at both regional and international festivals. His latest project Mirage.net, a World Premiere, is a controversial short about a group of men who abuse social networks at the expense of women making a strong case for modern communication as incompatible with society’s traditions.

Emirati director and writer Ibrahim Al Marzouqi’s presents his World Premiere Mutiny which follows a troubled chef with tremendous psychological and physical challenges who finds himself confronted with some bizarre circumstances. Also a World Premiere the compelling film noir titled The Path from Humaid Al Awadi and Abdulla Aljunaibi about a group of friends who encounter a series of exciting events that are enough to change the course of their lives. Award-winning director Waleed Al Shehhi’s

returns to a traditional Emirati environment to portray a child’s life burdened by the fear of death in the fragile and touching White Colored Elephant. The child struggles with his own present that might determine his future and leave him with some hope.

The light-hearted We Need To Talk by Maher Al-Khaja, is based on a true story and tells the trials and tribulations that friendships and relationships bring. Further examining the intrinsic dynamic of human nature, is the beautiful story Safi from Ahmed Zain this prominent filmmaker’s latest short represents the closeness of people, illustrating their connections through poignant memories and standout issues.

‘ Follow Me’ Director Jonathan Gruber: ‘ Keep the Politics Out of It’ iven the current tensions in the Middle East, the documentary “Follow Me: The Yoni Netanyahu Story” - which chronicles the life of Jonathan “Yoni” Yetanyahu, the Israeli army commander who led the 1976 raid on Entebbe, and who was the brother of current Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu - would seem to have particular relevance. But according to Jonathan Gruber, the film’s writer and director, his film shouldn’t be viewed through the prism of the region’s current ailments. For one thing, Gruber told the audience at TheWrap’s screening of the film Monday night at the Landmark Theatre in Los Angeles, work on the film began 16 years ago - long before the recent flare-up between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

For another thing, Gruber added, injecting the film with politics would have gotten in the way of the real story. “We wanted to keep the politics out of it, and focus on the story of one soldier’s life,” Gruber told TheWrap’s editor-in-chief Sharon Waxman, who moderated a Q&A session following the screening of the film. “More than half my family lives in Israel,” Gruber later noted, but “as an American I feel strongly that i don’t want to dabble in Israeli politics, it’s not my place.”

Instead, “Follow Me” chronicles the remarkable but brief life (the only Israeli fatality of the Entebbe raid, Netanyahu died at age 30), using interviews from his brothers, Benjamin and Iddo, as well as his wife Tuti and other family members. Fellow members of the elite Sarayet Matkal, who pulled off the raid that rescued nearly 100 Israeli and Jewish hijacking victims from their Palestinian terrorist captors at the Entebbe airport in Uganda, also fill in Netanyahu’s biography.

Also factoring heavily into the movie’s narrative: Letters that Netanyahu wrote to his family, which betray an eloquence and insight far beyond his years. (The missives were published in 2001 as part of “The Letters of Jonathan Netanyahu: The Commander of the Entebbe Rescue Force.”) Gruber told Waxman and the audience that the letters, in particular, were a guiding force in directing the film.

“What struck me was reading these letters which came out after Yoni died,” Gruber offered. “As I read this book, it was just remarkable how lyrical and poetic they were ... I wanted to make sure the film captured the poetic and lyrical feel.” The resulting film offers a portrait of a conflicted man, one who was torn between defending Israel and pursuing academics (Netanyahu studied at Harvard), and whose devotion to the military played a significant role in his divorce from Tuti. “It was important to show the flaws in his humanity,” Gruber said during the Q&A session. “He’s a conflicted character.” While Gruber was reluctant to draw comparisons between his film and the current difficulties in the Middle East, he did offer some differences between the era when Netanyahu stages his daring raid and the contemporary climate. “The movie is] a portrait of a time in Israel that’s in the past ... in a way, it was about a time when things were simpler in terms of Israel and its relationship to its neighbors in the outside world,” the filmmaker posited. “It was pretty clear that Israel was

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(From left) British producer Cameron Mackintosh, US actress Amanda Seyfreid, Australian actor Hugh Jackman, US actress Anne Hathaway and British director Tom Hooper appear before Japanese fans during an event to promote their latest movie ‘Les Miserables’ in Tokyo yesterday. The film will be shown all over Japan from December 21. —AFP

Review

‘Central Park Five’ sets record straight he Central Park Five” takes an emotionally charged subject - the wrongful conviction and imprisonment of five black and Hispanic teenage boys for the rape of a white female jogger - and makes its case in a straightforward, detached manner. It is thoughtful, educational, understated perhaps to a fault - tonally, the trademark work of veteran documentarian Ken Burns, who directs, writes and produces this time with daughter Sarah Burns, who wrote a book about the crime, and her husband, David McMahon. It efficiently depicts, but doesn’t get caught up in, the hysteria of the place and time: a racially and socioeconomically divided New York City in April 1989, when it was rotting with crack cocaine, AIDS and violent crime but also gleaming with the conspicuous consumption of the era. As veteran New York Times reporter Jim Dwyer puts it: “It’s as if there was a social moat that divided these two New Yorks.”

The late-night attack on jogger Trisha Meili then a 28-year-old Wall Street investment banker who’s now an author and motivational speaker became a symbol of this chasm and everything that seemed wrong with society. And the five

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young men from Harlem who happened to be running around Central Park with a couple dozen troublemakers that night - Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, Korey Wise and Yusef Salaam - became all-too easy scapegoats.

“The Central Park Five” aims to clear their names publicly, once and for all, in a way that much of the press did not when a judge vacated the young men’s convictions in 2002. It also quietly, insistently argues that this was more than just an example of detectives trying to make a name for themselves by quickly wrapping up a highprofile case - the one that introduced the word “wilding” into the vernacular - but rather a major symptom of institutional racism within the department.

For the sake of perspective, it would have been helpful to hear from at least one of the people, who investigated or prosecuted the case, or from the tabloids that were so quick to condemn these kids, or even from the victim herself. All declined to participate. But we do hear extensively from the five who were accused as they describe the fear of that time and the struggle to regain all they lost during the years they were behind bars. —AP

This film image released by Sundance Selects shows accused rapist Yusef Salaam being escorted by police in New York in 1990. — AP

Avatar’s Cameron tips Hobbit to spark film tech revolution

Director James Cameron and Suzy Amis speak to the media upon their arrival at the world premiere of ‘The Hobbit’ movie. scar-winning director James Cameron yesterday predicted Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit” would do for high-definition film-making what his own hit “Avatar” did for 3D movies. Jackson has filmed “The Hobbit” at a groundbreaking 48 frames a second rather than the standard 24, a move that drew mixed critical reactions when a preview was screened in Las Vegas in April. But Cameron, a surprise guest at the premiere of the first installment of “The Hobbit” in Wellington yesterday, said he faced similar skepticism pioneering modern 3D techniques on “Avatar”, now the highest grossing film of all time.

He said Jackson’s latest movie was destined to be a hit, making it easier for him (Cameron) to employ 48 frames a second which eliminated the “strobing” seen in standard films. “If there is acceptance of 48, then that will pave the way for Avatar (sequels) to take advantage of it,” Cameron told reporters.

“We charged out ahead on 3D with Avatar, now Peter’s doing it with the Hobbit. It takes that kind of bold move to make change.”

Jackson this week likened the higher shooting rate to the introduction of compact discs, saying it was the way of the future for film. “I personally think it’s fantastic, but it’s different,” he told Radio New Zealand. “I remember when CDs came in and there was a nostalgic feeling that the sound of a needle

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on vinyl was what music should sound likesuddenly you’ve got this pristine clarity and a lot of people were nay-saying it.”

Cameron said Jackson was a singular filmmaker who had turned the New Zealand film industry into a global force. “He’s elevated the industry to a global level, where people from all over the world-artists, film-makers, special effects technicians and so on-come here to work, that’s unique,” he said. “It’s really only happened a couple of times before, in Los Angeles and maybe London... it’s the first time it’s been done by a single film-maker.”

Cameron, who owns a farm in New Zealand, said he was on the property working on scripts for sequels to “Avatar”, complaining: “Unfortunately it’s too damn distracting because it’s so beautiful”. He said he hoped to have the scripts completed by February and begin filming by the end of next year. “I want to get these scripts nailed down, I don’t want to be writing the movie in post production,” the director said.

“We kind of did that on the first picture, I ended up cutting out a lot of scenes and so on and I don’t want to do that again.”

Cameron, originally from Canada, said he was enjoying the relaxed lifestyle in New Zealand.

“We knew our immediate neighbors in a couple of mile radius a heck of a lot better in the first few weeks than we did in Los Angeles in 10 years,” he said. — AFP

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

lifestyle M U S I C

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Members of the cast pose on stage together at the world premiere of ‘The Hobbit’ movie in Courtenay Place in Wellington.

M O V I E S

Fans hold up a placard with an image of the character Gollum during the world premiere of ‘The Hobbit’ movie.

Middle Earth mania in Wellington for Hobbit debut uge crowds swarmed central Wellington yesterday for the world premiere of Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit”, an event that sparked Middle Earth mania and brought a touch of Hollywood to New Zealand. Presenters on national radio greeted listeners in the fictional language elvish, while newspapers came with free Hobbit posters and sculptures of characters from the film dotted the capital. Up to 100,000 fans, many in costume staked out spots hoping for a glimpse of stars such as Cate Blanchett, Elijah Wood and Martin Freeman treading the red carpet leading to the Embassy Theatre, which was decked out as a hobbit house.

“The whole of Wellington seems to be here, it’s extraordinary,” Wood said as he made his way past chanting spectators in scenes more reminiscent of a sporting event than a movie premiere. The city renamed itself “The Middle of Middle Earth” for the event and the New Zealand tourism industry has launched a major promotional push on the back of the movies, hoping to revive flagging international visitor numbers. An Air New Zealand Boeing 777 covered in Hobbit-themed livery made a flyover just before the screening of the first in a three-part prequel to Jackson’s blockbuster “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy.

The normally reclusive director admitted he was anxious about how the movie would be received and said his rock star welcome at the premiere was “humbling” after a gruelling shoot. “It will be the first time I will be seeing the movie with an audience, I only just finished it, so I’m very nervous,” he said. “Once the film is out and a lot of people are seeing it, it becomes almost owned by the cinemagoers of the world. At the moment it just has left

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our hands.” Oscar-winner Blanchett said she was so keen to reprise her role of Galadriel in the films that “I did stalk him (Jackson) a little bit”. “I’ve long been a fan of Peter’s,” she added. “He’s incredibly free, he’s a free thinker, he’s a free associator and somehow as a filmmaker even though he’s got this enormous trilogy on his shoulders, he’s very, very nimble.” The Hobbit was filmed at a hyper-realistic 48 frames a second rather than the usual 24. Director James Cameron predicted the innovation would spark a revolution in movie-making similar to his own pioneering 3D work with “Avatar”.

“We charged out ahead on 3D with Avatar, now Peter’s doing it with the Hobbit,” he told reporters, taking a break from his New Zealand farm where he is working on scripts for Avatar sequels. “It takes that kind of bold move to make change.” The movies, shot back-to-back in New Zealand with an estimated budget of US$500 million, depict hobbit

Bilbo Baggins’s quest to reclaim the lost dwarf kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug.

Bringing the trilogy to the screen proved a saga in itself, taking more than six years since the project was first mooted. This included legal wrangling over book rights and a union dispute that threatened to move it from New Zealand.

Hobbit fans stand waiting next to the red carpet before the world premiere of ‘The Hobbit’ movie.

Actor Sylvester McCoy walks out onto the stage at the world premiere of ‘The Hobbit’.

Chinese actress Yao Chen arrives for the world premiere of ‘The Hobbit’.

Jackson was also struck down by ill health and last week there were allegations-strongly denied by producers-of animal cruelty and a US lawsuit filed

by Tolkien’s heirs over marketing rights. Critics have also questioned if a three-part saga is necessary, given the original book is barely 300 pages long.

They suggest box-office returns-US$2.9 billion for the “Rings” trilogy-may have trumped artistic considerations.

There were no such reservations from fan Theresa Collins, who expects “The Hobbit” to repeat the success of Jackson’s first Tolkien epic, which won

17 Oscars to become one of the most successful franchises in movie history.

“It’s going to be different, not as dark (as “Lord of the Rings”),” she told AFP. “It will still have that fan base from Lord of the Rings and will probably build on that.”

The first movie “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” premiered in Wellington yesterday will be released globally in December. The second, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”, is due in December 2013 and the final chapter “The Hobbit: There and Back Again” follows in July 2014. — AFP

Leads, director of Motown musical visit Hitsville he stars of the upcoming Broadway musical about Motown Records have read pretty much every book about and listened to every song from that golden era of American music. The research only took them so far, so they decided to come and see Hitsville, USA, for themselves. Brandon Victor Dixon, who portrays the label’s founder, Berry Gordy, and Valisia LeKae, who plays its signature songstress, Diana Ross, visited the Motown Museum on Tuesday, taking a lengthy tour of the two-level home that produced the soundtrack of a generation.

“I’m trying not to get emotional,” LeKae said as she methodically inspected the hundreds of mementos - posters, gold records, clothing and more - on display at the Motown Museum. LeKae, a Broadway veteran who has appeared in “The Book of Mormon” and “Ragtime” among others, worried about losing her composure when it came time to visit Studio A, the famed space in which Gordy and his army of artists, writers, producers and engineers signed, sealed and delivered hit after hit throughout the 1960s.

And she succeeded, descending a small flight of stairs into the square, smallish room and calmly checking out the famed File photo shows studio affectionately called the Motown Records “Snake Pit.” LeKae marveled at founder Berry Gordy an oversized black-and-white Jr in Beverly Hills, snapshot on the wall of Ross Calif. singing with a smiling Gordy looking on. It wasn’t until later, while visiting the home’s upstairs, that LeKae’s emotions kicked in. Standing underneath the “echo chamber,” a hole cut in the upper level’s ceiling designed to create unique sounds for the recording process, LeKae belted out the first few lines of the Supremes’ “Where Did Our Love Go.” “Baby, baby / Baby, don’t leave me,” she wailed, before the tears began to well up and she had to stop singing. “This is, like, amazing,” she said. LeKae and Dixon, who earned a Tony nomination for his work in “The Color Purple” and bears more than a passing resemblance to a Motown-era Gordy, will be front and center

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File photo shows guitarist Dan Auerbach, center, and drummer Patrick Carney of The Black Keys perform at the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park, in New York. — AP

Black Keys settle cases over music in commercials

he Black Keys told a federal judge the band has settled copyright infringement lawsuits against Pizza Hut and The Home Depot claiming misuse of their music in commercials. The band alleged the song “Lonely Boy” was improperly used to sell power tools, and “Gold on the Ceiling” to sell pizza. The Grammy-winning band sued in June. Both companies denied copying the songs. Attorneys for the band informed a federal judge in Los Angeles of the Pizza Hut settlement on Monday. The settlement agreement with The Home Depot was reached earlier this month.

No details of the settlements were included in court filings. Stephen Holmes, a spokesman for The Home Depot, and a publicist for the band didn’t have an immediate

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comment. A representative for Pizza Hut did not return a message seeking comment.

Attorneys expect to file formal dismissals by early January, according to court filings.

Both songs appeared on the rock group’s seventh album, “El Camino,” which was released last year and has sold more than a million copies.

The Black Keys are comprised of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney. Musician-producer Brian Burton, who is known as Danger Mouse, also sued the companies. “Lonely Boy” and “Gold on the Ceiling” both topped the Billboard alternative music chart after being released. The Black Keys won two Grammy Awards in 2010 for music from their album “Brothers,” which won the Best Alternative Music Album award that year. — AP

Charles Randolph Wright, director of ‘Motown: The Musical’ poses for photos in Studio A at the Motown Museum in Detroit. — AP photos when the show debuts this spring. “Motown: The Musical” begins its run of preview performances March 11 ahead of the official opening on April 14 at New York’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.

That gives Dixon, LeKae, Gordy (who’s producing and writing the book) and director Charles Randolph-Wright four months to bring the show to the stage.

To that end, Randolph-Wright also was at Hitsville on Tuesday, seeing prospective actors during a callback session in Studio A. He’s still looking for understudies and others to play smaller parts. It wasn’t Randolph-Wright’s first visit to Motown’s birthplace as it was for his two leads, but for the 56-year-old who proclaims that “Motown’s in my DNA,” it was no less special.

“What a joy to be a part of (the Motown) movement and what a responsibility to try and place that in the world,” Randolph-Wright said, sitting on a piano bench in Studio A. “So, I’ve been very careful about trying to do that the right way.”

And he has, working for the past three years on “Motown: The Musical,” holding a nationwide casting call and working with Gordy and the oth-

er producers to identify which of the overwhelming number of songs from the Motown catalog to include on stage. “The show is 15 hours,” Randolph-Wright joked. The first version had 100 songs in it, he said, and “I wanted every song.”

While he said the show’s decision-makers are still deliberating about which songs make the final cut, one thing is certain about the musical selections: A few numbers in the show will be Gordy originals, written specifically for it.

“It’s so interesting to see him go back to being a songwriter after all these years,” said Randolph-Wright, who described one Gordypenned song as having “all the textures of what Motown is and was, but it’s new.”

As for the man playing the man, Dixon spent his Tuesday walking through the halls of the Motown Museum, taking in every word tour guide Eric Harp and the other docents offered and, as he put it, “soaking it all in.”

At one point, he kneeled down and softly touched the cushion of a red-orange couch upstairs on which Marvin Gaye would take the occasional slumber. —AP

China film studios plan Shanghai stock offerings wo big Chinese state-owned film studios are planning to sell shares on the Shanghai stock exchange in a sign of Beijing’s desire to build a film industry that can compete with Hollywood.

China Film Co and Shanghai Film Group Co. are on a list of companies preparing to go public in Shanghai. The list was posted this week on the website of China’s securities regulator. No details were provided on how much money they plan to raise or timetables for their initial public offerings.

Officials at both companies declined to provide any further information when contacted by phone.

A stock offering would help the companies raise money for big-budget blockbuster productions

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rivaling the Hollywood movies that are increasingly popular in China’s government-controlled film market. Beijing-based China Film’s credits include the critically acclaimed 2010 box office hit “Let The Bullets Fly,” starring Chow Yun-fat. It was also involved in the 2010 remake of “The Karate Kid,” which starred Jackie Chan and was filmed in China.

The company is part of the China Film Group, one of two companies authorized to distribute foreign movies in China. The Shanghai Film Group, part of the Shanghai Media and Entertainment Group, produced “Aftershock,” a 2010 drama about a devastating 1976 earthquake, as well as 2005’s “The White Countess,” starring Ralph Fiennes and set in

Shanghai. China’s leaders hope to develop the country’s cultural industries as a way to expand their influence abroad. They’ve reached out to Hollywood this year as they look for co-production deals that would help their studios make movies that appeal to both Chinese and global audiences.

For their part, Hollywood studios such as Dreamworks Animation have been teaming up with Chinese partners to gain access to China’s fast-growing but tightly regulated film market.

Chinese adore foreign movies, and six of the top 10 highest grossing films in the country last year were Hollywood productions, including “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” and “Kung Fu Panda 2.”

But leaders are also worried that domestic moviegoers are increasingly choosing Hollywood flicks over local ones. Tian Jin, deputy head of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, the industry regulator, said earlier this month that domestic films took 41.4 percent of total box office receipts in the first 10 months of 2012, according to a report by the official Xinhua news agency. That was down from the year before, though the report did not say by how much. China’s box office revenue rose more than a third in 2011 to $2 billion, putting the country on pace to become the world’s second largest movie market after the combined US and Canadian region this year. — AP

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

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In this publicity film image released by Focus Features, from left, Kara Hayward, Jared Gilman and Jason Schwartzman are shown in a scene from ‘Moonrise Kingdom.’

he oddball romances “Moonrise Kingdom” and “Silver Linings Playbook” picked up five nominations each Tuesday to lead the Spirit Awards honoring independent film. Both films are competing for the best-picture prize at the Spirit Awards, one of Hollywood’s first big announcements on the long road to the Oscars. Also competing for best picture are the father-daughter tale “Beasts of the Southern Wild”; the black comedy “Bernie”; and the gay drama “Keep the Lights On.” “Silver Linings Playbook,” a comic drama centered on a man just released from a mental hospital and a troubled young widow, earned lead-acting nominations for Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. “Moonrise Kingdom,” a first-love story between a precocious boy and girl who run away together, received a supporting-actor nomination for Bruce Willis. The films each have directing and screenplay slots for “Moonrise Kingdom” filmmaker Wes Anderson, who co-wrote the script with Roman Coppola, and “Silver Linings Playbook” filmmaker David O. Russell. “Moonrise Kingdom” also was nominated for cinematography.

Matthew McConaughey received two nominations, for best actor in “Killer Joe” and supporting actor in “Magic Mike.” Past Academy Award winner Helen Hunt has a supporting-actress nomination for “The Sessions.” Child star Quvenzhane Wallis, who had never acted before, has a best-actress nomination for “Beasts of the Southern Wild.”

Among other acting nominees are Jack Black (best actor for “Bernie”); John Hawkes (best actor for “The Sessions”); Rosemarie DeWitt (supporting actress for “Your Sister’s Sister”); Michael Pena (supporting actor for “End of Watch”); Sam Rockwell (supporting actor for “Seven

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Zoe Saldana appears on stage.

Psychopaths”); and Mary Elizabeth Winstead (best actress for “Smashed”).

Joining Anderson and Russell in the directing category are Julia Loktev for “The Loneliest Planet,” Ira Sachs for “Keep the Lights On” and Benh Zeitlin for “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” which won the top prize at last January’s Sundance Film Festival.

Though the Spirit Awards honor lower-budgeted

M o v i e s

This publicity film image released by The Weinstein Company shows Jacki Weaver, left, and Robert De Niro in ‘Silver Linings Playbook.’

film outside the Hollywood mainstream, the nominations often overlap heavily with Oscar contenders. Last season’s big Oscar winner, “The Artist,” also won the top prize at the Spirit Awards, while films such as “The Descendants,” “Beginners” and “My Week with Marilyn” had wins or nominations at both shows.

The overlap may be lighter this season, with big-budget studio films such as “Les Miserables,” “Lincoln” and “Argo” shaping as early favorites to dominate the Oscars, whose nominations come out Jan 10. But “Silver Linings Playbook,” “Moonrise Kingdom,” “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” “The Sessions” and other smaller films have solid prospects in some Oscar categories.

Presented by the cinema group Film Independent, the Spirit Awards will be handed out at an afternoon ceremony along the beach in Santa Monica, California, on Feb 23, the day before the Oscars.

The Spirit Awards show will air that night on IFC. Nominees are chosen by panels of film professionals, which gauge contenders on such criteria as uniqueness of vision; original, provocative subject matter; how economically they were produced; and percentage of financing from independent, non-Hollywood sources. Eligible films typically range from tiny-budgeted movies shot for $500,000 or less to productions that cost as much as $20 million. Members of Film Independent, who include filmmakers and movie fans, are eligible to vote on the winners. — AP

hina’s latest blockbuster film, to be released nationwide today, focuses on the hypersensitive topic of famine- but not the mass starvation that Mao Zedong presided over, which remains strictly taboo.

“Back to 1942” tells of a largely forgotten disaster that left three million dead, seven years before Mao’s Communists took over and almost two decades before his Great Leap Forward led to the deaths of tens of millions. It has drawn wide local attention with Chinese stars Zhang Guoli and Chen Daoming and Hollywood figures Adrien Brody and Tim Robbins among director Feng Xiaogang’s cast, and a 210 million yuan ($34 million) budget.

The famine struck the central province of Henan, which had been torn by fighting between Chinese and Japanese forces while also suffering a drought, locust attacks and Photo shows Chinese actor Fan Wei government mismanagement. The area was Yuanzheng. still recovering from deliberate breaches in dams along the Yellow River that caused massive flooding four years previously, in a desperate attempt to check the Japanese famine, they don’t know about the 1942 advance. The film is presented as “one of famine, so it is necessary to depict it, as a the most sombre moments in recent history lesson,” Feng said in response to an Chinese history”. Yet neither the filmmaker, AFP question during a press conference on actors nor the local press have made any Sunday. But when asked about the possibilimention of the far larger famine of 1958-62 ty of making a similar film about the starvaunder the Great Leap Forward, Mao’s failed tion under Mao, the director did not answer.

“You have to respect the constraints that economic overhaul. exist, you know, and how difficult it is for Its policies led to the deaths of 40 million people, estimates Chinese journalist Yang filmmakers,” said Brody. “It’s remarkable Jisheng, who investigated the famine for that they are able to make a film like this.” It over a decade for his recent book remains unclear whether China’s vigilant “Tombstone”, which has been banned in censors have allowed the release of “Back to China. “The West only knows the 1962 1942” to distract attention from the later

(From left) Anna Kendrick, Common, and Zoe Saldana pose for photographers at the Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominations press conference at The W Hotel Hollywood on Tuesday. — AP photos

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&B singer Rihanna shot straight to the top of the Billboard 200 album chart on Tuesday with her seventh record “Unapologetic,” scoring her first No. 1 album despite mixed reviews. “Unapologetic,” which topped iTunes charts in 43 countries just hours after its release on Nov 19, sold 238,000 copies according to Billboard, scoring the 24-year-old singer from Barbados her best opening sales week to date.

The album’s lead single “Diamonds” landed at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart last week, giving Rihanna her 12th No. 1 single and tying her with Madonna and The Supremes for the fourth-most chart-topping singles in Billboard history.

“Unapologetic” left some critics unsettled by the singer’s harder sound and close-to-home lyrics. One track in particular that had everyone talking is “Nobody’s Business,” Rihanna’s collaboration with ex-boyfriend Chris Brown, who was charged with assaulting her three years ago.

The album has been promoted extensively by Rihanna, who embarked on a seven day tour across seven cities around the world, accompanied by a plane full of fans and journalists. The full Billboard charts was released yesterday. — Reuters

dele is rolling in the records. The 24-year-old British songstress’s album “21” has sold more than 10 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The album reached the milestone last week, less than two years after its release. “21” is the 21st album to sell 10 million copies since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991. Adele’s sophomore studio album debuted in 2011 and featured such hits as “Rolling in the Deep,” “Someone Like You” and “Set Fire to the Rain.”

It’s the third album to reach the 10 million mark in 2012. Linkin Park’s “Hybrid Theory” and Usher’s “Confessions” both crossed the 10 million mark earlier this year. Adele won in all six categories she was nominated in at the Grammys earlier this year, including album of the year. — AP

and Feng

This picture taken on November 25, 2012 shows Chinese actress Xu Fan , US actor and film producer Adrien Brody and Chinese film director Feng Xiaogang at the press conference for Feng Xiaogang’s epic ‘Back to 1942’ movie premier in Beijing. — AFP photos

famine, or if the move represents a relaxation of the taboo. “Whatever the merits of the film, it was probably decided to do it to serve as a counter-argument to Yang Jisheng’s book,” said Philippe Grangereau, co-author of the documentary “The Great Famine”.

It was a typical example of Chinese “counter-propaganda”, he said. According to the Hollywood Reporter, China has delayed the release of the latest James Bond movie “Skyfall”, prompting the US paper to speculate the move was to boost ticket sales for “Back to 1942” and another Chinese film.

Mao’s disastrous Great Leap Forward was intended to transform China from an agrarian economy into a modern communist society through rapid industrialization and the collectivization of farming. In attempts to meet steel production quotas, farm implements were melted down for scrap while party-directed agricultural experiments drove down yields on communes. — AFP

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In this Feb 21, 2012 file photo, performer Adele arrives for the Brit Awards 2012 at the O2 Arena in London. — AP

Ten Muhr Emirati competition finalists unveiled

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

Stone carvings from the ‘Roads of Arabia’.

Bronze head of a man found at Qaryat al-Faw, 1st century BCE to 2nd century CE at the ‘Roads of Arabia’ exhibit at the Arthur M Sackler Gallery in Washington, DC. — MCT photos

here’s more to Saudi Arabia than sand, oil and camels. The proof is at the Arthur M Sackler Gallery in Washington, DC, with the “Roads of Arabia” exhibit, on display until Feb 23. The exhibit has more than 300 objects drawn from Saudi institutions showing the influences of their neighbors on Arabian art. It draws on treasures discovered over the last 40 years at 10 different sites on the Arabian Peninsula. Ali Al-Ghabban, vice president of Antiquities and Museums in Saudi Arabia, says that it shows civilization in the area dated back thousands of years: “We are not a closed civilization.”

The exhibit is broken into three parts. Part one covers

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the history starting with the Neolithic human-like sandstone stele and flaked stone axes going back to the 4th millennium BCE. Displayed in one of several large-sized photographs is an example of Neolithic rock art dating back several millennia. Ghabban points out that Arabia “at that period wasn’t desert. The weather was different, having all these types of animals.” There were lions, ostriches, cattle, camels and humans on the hunt.

At the time what made Saudi Arabia important were the networks of oases for the caravans crossing the desert sand. “Each station was a petro (gasoline) station,” says Ghabban, “We controlled the international trade. Arabia is

ravel and humor author Doug Lansky is drawn to the absurd and outrageous, collecting anecdotes and photos on his websites and throwing them back at his fans in book form. He has just released “Crap Souvenirs: The Ultimate Kitsch Collection” ($10.95; Penguin). It’s photo homage to the tackiest travel bric-a-brac out there. You’ll see some of it at www.crapsouvenirs.com. In a recent conversation, Lansky discussed.

What it takes to qualify: “First, you have to define souvenir.

It has to be something for sale. ... The souvenir should have the name of the location on it or has to be something endemic to the place, like a pink flamingo sold in a Florida gift shop.

The object could be sold at any price, but most are between $2 and $15.” What makes something so awful: “It has to be comically kitsch, and that often involves a combination of two factors. A porcelain alligator is OK, but when it also has a thermometer on it and the thing says ‘FLORIDA,’ it transcends into something else.

“Another typical kitsch characteristic is a mismatch of something sacred with something mundane. Consider the pope’s likeness: Put it on anything but a religious item, and it becomes kitsch. That’s not a jab at the pope: It’s just that the contradiction of a pope talking key chain, pope bottle opener or pope perfume all become funny. Those are real items, by the way, and can be found in the book.

“The Sphinx and King Tut work the same way-like a little version of Tut’s head that’s a toothpick holder, toenail clipper or thimble. I have those! And I don’t think Tut saw that com-

ing. “The basic gut test is: Does it make you cringe and laugh at the same time? By the way, there should be a word for that.”

How the book began: “When the ‘Sky Maul’ spoof (of the in-flight SkyMall catalogue) came out in 2006, I said, ‘This is brilliant!’ It elevated my appreciation of the humor value of kitsch items, and that spilled over into airport gift shops and became a game for me and my wife: Who could spot the worst items, hold them up and take pictures?

“I have limited luggage space when I travel, and we live in a small house in Sweden. But with photos, we could enjoy the things without them collecting dust in our home.”

His personal collection: “One of my favorites isn’t even in the book. (Wife) Signe brought it back from Amsterdam: It’s a ceramic Dutch windmill that holds these little cheese jobbersfancy metal toothpicks that have a little windmill on each. It’s so over-wind milled that it’s like cake-on-cake.”

The biggest kitsch he’s seen: “It’s at a shop in Austin, Texas.

It’s an iguana or some sort of lizard that was stood up-it’s about a foot tall-dressed as a cowboy and holding salt and pepper shakers in its arms.”— MCT

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37 Dr Ibrahim Al-Ghabban, Vice President of Antiquities and Museums, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia stands in front of a photograph of Neolithic rock art with animals and humans at the ‘Roads of Arabia’ exhibit at the Arthur M Sackler Gallery in Washington, DC.

a gift of its location as Egypt is the gift of Nile. We controlled the trade between east and west.”

What was shipped? Spices, like frankincense and myrrh, and other luxury objects. Arab sculptures reflected Egyptian dynastic styling and bronze heads showed the influence on ancient Rome and Greece. Then came Islam in the 7th century, and the trade routes changed. Saudi Arabia no longer was a place to cross but a destination as the pilgrimage roads converged on Mecca. Artistic influence became applied to script instead of human representation. This is the second part of the exhibit.

The last part covers the founding of modern Saudi

Arabia in 1932 by the late King Abdul-Aziz, known as Ibn Saud. The exhibit was first shown in Paris after the Saudi government and the Louvre combined forces. It traveled to Barcelona, Russia’s Hermitage and Berlin, with more than 1.5 million visitors. The Sackler Gallery is the first stop for “Roads of Arabia.” It will travel to Pittsburgh, Houston and San Francisco, with other museums still under discussion. — MCT

What awaits in Stockholm? A koosh-ball bird that loves Sweden, of course.

From deep in the heart of Texas: Mom, please pass the iguana cowboy shaker. And thank you.— MCT photos